Château de Clavières

The Clavieres castle is located in Velzic in Cantal, in the valley of the Jordanne. The last owner of the castle was the family of Claviere La Salle Rochemaure, whose most illustrious member was the Duke Louis-Hercule-Anne Felix (born 1856 and died in 1915), lord of Félibrige megalomaniac and Majoral, historian of the pope Gerbert and troubadours cantaliens.

At Claviere, the Duke received a lot and meals for 100 people were very frequent. Illustrious people were present and could be seen face to face, Henri d'Orleans, grand-son of Louis-Philippe and Prince Roland Bonaparte ... Hours particularly successful! The Father Raymond Four, pastor and friend of Ayren Vermenouze, was a great friend of the Duke, if we believe the preface to his Songs of Auvergne. The 1914 war and family problems have greatly affected the Duke who died in 1915.

After the death of the Duchess in 1930, the castle and its art treasures were sold by his son. Over eight days, we ran across Europe to buy furniture, woodwork, ceilings, fireplaces, books, art objects. Found in the Cantal, the remains of this fabulous sale. But the best pieces are gone abroad: silver snuff boxes, offered by Joseph Francis, a carved stick, donated by Pope Leo XIII ... The magnificent building was no longer maintained and therefore doomed. On the evening of May 25, 1936, fair day in Aurillac, lightning struck the castle.

Firefighters, alerted by the farmer, arrived. Alas, the castle ponds had been emptied the previous day to be cleaned. Firefighters helplessly saw the castle walls collapsing. In the morning, only the big gate was standing receptions. Today, nothing remains of this historic residence frequented by the highest dignitaries of the time, the ruins were sold by the current owners.