Château de Montgilbert 1.69

The Château de Montgilbert is a ruined medieval fortress located in the commune of Ferrières-sur-Sichon, 25 km to the south-east of Vichy in the Allier département of France.ArchitectureBuilt during the 13th century, the Château de Montgilbert is located at the top of a rocky hillock in one of the turns of the Vareille, a brook feeding Sichon, a small tributary of the Allier River.It is composed of two concentric walls. The external fortification, adapted for ground combat, reinforces the defences (towers, arrow slits) in the gently sloped west and south sides, and delimits a low courtyard that contained the servants' quarters. This enclosure was expanded during the 15th century with artillery batteries and a bastion with thick walls that covered the overexposed original entry.The inner, approximately square, fortification comprises round towers at each corner, where arches (chapel) are still visible. Square towers were situated in the centre of the curtain walls, but the majority of them have disappeared. This curtain walls were crowned with a covered path. A door with a portcullis, framed by two towers, gives access to the high courtyard containing the lordly residence, the ceremonial room, outhouses including the large-chimneyed kitchen, as well as many storage areas: a water cistern, a corn silo, and cellars located under the home with access staircases. A covered gallery existed along the buildings besides the high courtyard.