Château de Chavaniac
The Château de Chavaniac aka Chateau Lafayette[1][2][3] is a fortified manor house of eighteen rooms furnished in the Louis XIII style located in Chavaniac-Lafayette, Haute-Loire, in Auvergne province, France.
Flanked by two towers of black stone, it was built in the 14th century and was the birthplace of General Lafayette in 1757.
In 1916, a group of wealthy philanthropists led by Scottish-born American industrialist John C. Moffat purchased the castle to serve as a center of philanthropy for people affected by World War I.[4] Following the war he renovated it completely to preserve documents and objects relating to General Lafayette.
The Château de Chavaniac is now a museum open to the public.
Architecture[edit]
The Château de Chavaniac framed by two towers of black rock from Auvergne was constructed in the 14th century. The château and the interior decoration were listed as historic monuments by France on August 21, 1989.[11]
In the entrance one finds a great staircase, a gallery with painted murals, a Louis XIII dining room, and a guardroom. The first floor has a grand salon, a library, and the family's bedrooms. The second floor has a great hall and the master bedroom with a bathroom and a sauna. The Franco-American friendship room is found on the fourth floor.