In the Northeast of Auvergne, in the heart of the Allier and Bourbonnais area, the land of the Dukes of Bourbon, the ancestral home of eight of the last Kings of France, welcomes art and history lovers. Water, humble and salutary, floods this land of prosperous history with its blessings.
A visit to Bourbon-l’Archambault is also a trip into the history of the Bourbons. The ruins of the medieval fortress, founded by the first Lords of Bourbon, continue to bear witness to them. Three towers and the ramparts of the château remain. The visitors will be amazed by the “Qui Qu’en Grogne” tower, raised by Louis II to look over the town. Another essential stop in the footsteps of the Bourbons is Souvigny. Here you will find the most moving memorial of the Dukes. Louis II and his wife, Anne of Auvergne, lie in a chapel of Saint-Pierre priory. Souvigny is also known for its Bible, a masterpiece of medieval art in the Bourbonnais region.
Adding to this evocation of seven centuries of their reign over the center of France, you must visit Moulins, capital of the Dukes of Bourbon. Today, all that remains of the palace built by Archambault is a square tower called “La Mal Coiffée”, the Dukes’ private chapel and Anne de Beaujeu’s Pavilion, now an art and archaeology museum.
Romanesque Auvergne... speaking to your heart
At the end of the 10th century and the beginning of the 11th, Romanesque art flourished in Auvergne like nowhere else. With over 250 buildings, Auvergne’s heritage is among the most developed in Europe. It is also among the purest. The Auvergnat style is an important component in Romanesque art. The development of the Auvergne School was centred around the diocese of Clermont-Ferrand at the end of the 10th century, a period in which Romanesque art had already reached a certain maturity in Germany and northern France.
It features a quest for simplicity and purity. Its strength and homogeneity come in part from the speed with which all these buildings were built in Auvergne. Indeed, it took only a few decades. The task was huge… the result is considerable. The exceptional Romanesque heritage in Auvergne contributes to the region’s cultural influence and attraction.