Lauriat Castle

Lauriat Castle, locally known as Château de Lauriat, lies northwest of the village of Beaumont, in the Haute-Loire department in France.

A fortification at Lauriat was first mentioned in 1000. The present structures date back to the 13th century. In the 15th century the castle belonged to the Rochefort d'Ally family until around 1480 when it went to the Saint Ahond family through marriage. Almost a century later, in 1575, it passed to the Pélacot family, again through marriage. Marie de Pélacot, Lady of Lauriat, married Charles de Gouzel around 1640.

Lauriat Castle stayed in the hands of the Gouzel family until the French Revolution, at the end of the 18th century. Then the Lord of Lauriat, Marc de Gouzel, had disappeared. His castle was confiscated and sold as national property to a civilian. Marc de Gouzel was very well known as, apparently, he held the 'Secret of Rabies'; a potion that could cure people affected with the disease. It made patients from all over the region flock to the castle to receive the remedy.

At present Lauriat Castle is privately inhabited and thus can not be visited, but it can easily be viewed from a departmental road that runs below it. A nice rural castle.

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