Château de l'Épine

The origins of the estate, which appeared as a fortified country house in the 13th century, may lie in a simple mound with wooden palisades. The political unrest and looting of the Hundred Years' War in the 14th and 15th centuries led to a strengthening of the fortifications, including the construction of moats and corner towers. The first feudal acknowledgements date from 1322 by Étienne Boutefeu. The Boutefeu family owned the estate until the early 15th century, followed by Guillaume de Roux in 1413. In the mid-15th century, the Lords of Saint-Aubin took over the castle and held it until the second half of the 17th century. In 1688, the estate passed to Charles Legendre, whose son Gilbert-Charles Legendre, Marquis de Saint-Aubin, lost his fortune through misguided investments in the Compagnie des Indes. The castle was subsequently placed under judicial administration and sold between 1749 and 1751.

Château de l'Épine is located in Agonges, a commune in the Allier department in the Auvergne region, France, at an elevation of approximately 203 meters above sea level.

Today, Château de l'Épine is privately owned and has been listed as a historical monument since March 5, 1992. It presents itself as an almost perfect square with three preserved corner towers and water-filled moats. Access is through a large pointed arch gate, which was once preceded by a drawbridge. Inside, historical elements such as a stone mullioned window, a fireplace with an oven, and a vaulted room in the tower, which may have served as a chapel, are still preserved. The dovecote on the upper floor of the tower is accessible via a staircase and features an impressive roof structure.

• Château de Laugère (castle), approx. 2.7 km away
• Château de Beaumont (castle), approx. 3.6 km away
• Château des Sacrots (castle), approx. 4.4 km away
• Château des Échardons (castle), approx. 4.6 km away