Opme Castle

A fortress commanding the pass where the Roman road from Clermont to Le Puy-en-Velay ran, the Château de Opme belonged first to the Counts, then to the Dauphins of Auvergne. Its original construction dates from the late 11th century, making it one of the oldest castles in Auvergne.
Built around an inner courtyard, the main building is flanked by five towers, three of which still stand today. In the 13th century, a square keep replaced one of the corner towers. Captured by the English in 1381, the Château was liberated in 1393 by Marshals Boucicaut and Sancerre.
In 1613, Antoine de Ribeyre, Treasurer of France, became the owner of Opme and undertook extensive renovations in the style of the period. A grand entrance and an interior staircase were created, and large mullioned windows were added, bringing light and elegance to this once austere fortress. Finally, the Ribeyre family laid out two terraced gardens to the south, in the style of Le Nôtre: one with a large circular basin, the other with a Renaissance fountain attributed to Androuet du Cerceau. More recently, in 1940, General de Lattre de Tassigny, Marshal of France, stayed at this residence when he established the Opme Officer Training School. The Château and gardens have been listed as Historical Monuments since 1916 and 1969, respectively.