Château de Vieux Moulin

Next to Vielmanay, the castle was originally a fortified house that protected the abbey of Bellary in the 13th century. The Hundred Years' War ruined this fortified house which was rebuilt during the Renaissance by Guillaume de Marafin. Of the old medieval stronghold house, the massive North-East tower, the base of the South-East tower, as well as part of the square entrance tower and the moat still remain today. The massive north-east tower is crowned with machicolations and a parapet walk, and its walls are pierced with two original gunports where archways were created later. The inner courtyard gives access to a large one-storey building, built on the original vaulted cellars and between the two round towers by Guillaume de Marafin in 1480. The facade has moulded bays and is flanked in the middle by a hexagonal tower with a polygonal roof and a spiral staircase. In the 17th century, large windows were opened in both facades and two rectangular pavilions were built on either side of the porch and on the bases of the first constructions of the 13th century enclosure. Today, the site is private and can be visited only in summer during the tours offered by the Tourist Office Loire, Vignobles and Nohain.