Bourg-argental

Bourg-Argental is a commune offering a large of the variety; patrimonial and historical elements, related to its industrial anchoring (textile in particular), but so natural from its immersion in an environment protected qu' is the Regional natural park of Pilat.
Come to discover this diversity which makes this commune a reference in term of the installation and of incomparable quality of life.

Bourg-Argental was with the Middle Ages a strengthened small town. The church was located at the center of the borough, the houses leaning with the ramparts. the House of Châtelet, which shelters today the Tourist office, was with the origin a tower of square defense which defended the Western door of the borough.

At the XVIII century, the Bollioud family repurchased this châtelet and transformed it into private mansion by adding the right wing.

Thanks to the intervention of the Park of Pilat and the municipality of Borough-Argental, the collection was restored; it was with the origin: machicolations, the frontage of the XVIII century with coated walls and decorations whitewashed with natural pigments.

From the Tourist office, you reach the interior of the House of Châtelet.

With the shelter of the thick walls, of the arranged rooms have the richnesses of the canton, cultural, historical or industrial richnesses. A room evokes the natural environments of the valley of Déôme by a decoration of rocks and forests (a play-discovery accompanies the visit thanks to a small booklet available to the Tourist office), one second presents industrial and artisanal know-how modern. A film recalls the history of weaving, an essential activity for Bourg-Argental, illustrated by many testimonys of the former workers, the craftsmen, owners.

The visit continues with a turning in the apartments of the Bollioud family, in the wing of the House of Châtelet.

To see in particular the ceilings of style forézien to ferns.

To continue the discovery of Bourg-Argental, a circuit furrows the lanes where five panels of the information constitutes a mini-play of track whose discussion thread is the Donnet cardinal, illustrates ecclesiastical XIX century.
In the village, a course marked out by plates in enamelled lava, makes it possible to read the principal comments concerning the sites, the monuments and the local history of Bourg-Argental.

In the course of the streets, you will be able to discover many old doors, more or less remarkable. Some have a history while the others are based in the anonymity. Some have a particular seal, the others are more common. But all have in common to be old and to represent a side of our local history with the risk, sometimes, to disappear from the landscape… if this is already made!

In the middle of the Middle Ages, while tried to develop in the plain of “Borough-Argental” (Burgus Argentalis), the lords of the area had prudently installed their castle with the variation, with the Argental locality.

This name of Argental, which is also that of the brook, could refer to mines of money, appears it present in the area, as it is of siver-bearing lead on the side of St-Julien-Molin-Serrated roller,  Eteize or elsewhere in Pilat.

The most former known lords, attested starting from XII century, had name Pagan of Argental, with title of barons.

The construction of the castle goes back at least to this time. The old engravings show it provided from a high keep and protected by an enclosure and turns. You can suppose that it supervised a road and sheltered a garrison.

The centuries then passed and the Pagan heiresses married with of Retourtour, Tournon, Josserand, of Monchetun, De Brion and Of Bourbon, while the territory oscillated between Vivarais and Forez.

The wars of religion, violent in Vivarais, were right of the castle. Still occupied in 1594 by Members of a league a little too insolents, the royal capacity made it capitulate and ordered its demolition in 1595. Its higher walls, however “thick and cemented well” were dismantled.

The vault was preserved, just as some sections of wall and the pretty base of a turret. All these elements remain still visible. The vault in spite of was very altered thereafter and, when it is open, it offers a pleasant volume and various disparate elements.