Château-Dauphin
Château-Dauphin is a medieval castle in Pontgibaud, in the Puy-de-Dôme department of France. It gets its name from the dolphin on the coat of arms of its 12th‑century builder, Robert I, Count of Auvergne.
The castle was first built in the 12th century and was improved in the 15th century by Gilbert III Motier de La Fayette, who strengthened the defenses and enlarged the keep. It was abandoned in the 17th century for a more comfortable house and was damaged during the French Revolution. It was restored in the 19th century by Count César III of Pontgibaud.
From 1756 it was occupied by the family of César I de Moré, a musketeer of the king. The current owners are Count and Countess Gabriel de Germiny.
The castle, its garden and a museum are open to visitors. The main building is a double keep: a round keep forms one corner of a square keep, and the two parts are separate. The square keep surrounds an inner courtyard that was given a glass roof in the 19th century. The defensive curtain wall has seven towers, six of which survive today.
There is also a kitchen garden, known from the 16th century and restored in the 18th century. The castle houses a museum about silver mining in the Pontgibaud area, created mainly in the late 19th century by the Société des mines et fonderies de Pontgibaud.
Château-Dauphin has been listed as a historic monument at various times since 1889, with a final classification in 1995 covering the castle, six towers, the surrounding land, the well and the fountain. The kitchen garden is also listed.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:28 (CET).