The département of the Puy-de-Dôme in the Auvergne is picturesque, tranquil and a land of dramatic scenery, and Château de Vollore, perched at the crest of a hill can be seen from miles away.  We arrived in mid afternoon and for nearly a half hour before reaching the château,  it was in view -- a distinctive wide form with a prominent tower at each end.  Winding roads brought us closer and closer, signage was excellent, and finally we were in the tiny village of Vollore-Ville and at the left turn in the road that would take us to the château gate. 

Auvergne is special with the highest peaks of the Massif found here.  It is a rich land of green pastures and gentle foothills.  Hiking, fishing and boating are popular pastimes.  In the winter months, cross-country skiing is very popular, but,  because the local mountains are not extremely high or always covered in snow,  there is less downhill skiing.  It is an ideal destination for lovers of the out-of-doors, but certainly not limited to those pursuits. 

The Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne lies west of Clermont-Ferrand in the Puy-de-Dôme —  a region of extinct volcanoes —  and is one of many areas within Auvergne that are protected from incursion by any kind of development.  The area is still not overrun by tourists, and the local inhabitants are happy with the level of activity as it is today.  It is here in the Puy-de-Dôme that you will find Château de Vollore.

Oh, there is another delight of the Auvergne:  cheese!  Saint-Nectaire, named for the Puy-de-Dôme village, is made from milk of Salers cows feeding on volcanic pastures and is aged in old wine cellars.  A creamy cheese, it is one  of  many  fine  cheeses  from   Auvergne.  Others include cows’ cheese such as Cantal and Bleu d’Auvergne, ewe cheese such as Brebis du Lavort, and the goat cheeses Chevreton du Bourbonnais and Briquette du Forez. 

The département of the Puy-de-Dôme is the large center of Auvergne and is named for the Puy-de-Dôme, a towering volcanic dome which can be reached via an upward spiraling road by car or by hikers using the steeper Roman path.  At the summit is a radio tower, but more notable are the remains of the Roman temple of Mercury.  This is the high point in the Monts Dômes range running north and south just west of the principal city of Clermont-Ferrand.

A glance at a map indicates a lush green countryside due to  the rich volcanic soil beneath, creating a very pleasant landscape, especially conducive to leisurely drives  The uncrowded highways and country lanes allow easy access to many sights and attractions. 

Other area attractions include the town of Thiers, clinging to the side of a steep ravine over the River Durolle.  This has been a cutlery manufacturing center since the Middle Ages when the Crusaders brought metal  working techniques home to France from the Holy Land.   Waterfalls powered the grindstones creating  tableware as well as guillotine blades. Thiers has many fascinating old streets with odd names that twist and turn their way through the oldest part of town where you’ll find superbly restored houses from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.  Two other significant towns are Orcival known for its Romanesque church, and Issoire, a Protestant stronghold during the Wars of Religion and today home to the 12th century Église de Saint-Austremoine. 
 
 

But,  back to Château de Vollore:  as we drove through the gate we were immediately struck by grandeur of the château and its commanding view of the vast countryside below.  The main door opened,  and we were greeted by Monsieur Michel Aubert La Fayette, a warm and distinguished gentleman who made us feel instantly welcome.   He gave us a brief tour of the principal rooms available to guests and then took us into Le Châtelet to our enormous suite.  It not only had a shower room with sink (and a window overlooking the forest), but a second large sitting room with a grand bathtub and an adjoining WC and basin.  The bedroom was large and tastefully decorated.  A beautifully framed mirror was over the mantel, and there was a large round table with chairs, a roomy closet, a writing desk with a view out to the front of the château, and a very comfortable queen-sized bed.   A welcome tray with candies, chocolates and bottled water was on the table, and a new supply appeared the next afternoon.

We were so comfortable after settling in that we knew that two days and nights here would not be nearly long enough.  Château de Vollore is definitely a place to return to time and time again.  The views from our windows (and there were many windows) were nothing less than spectacular.  From our largest bedroom window we could see sheep grazing just below the château lawn (a little wall separating them did not keep our ovine friend from jumping over it to graze alongside the pool -- the grass is always greener! ), further down the hill were small farmhouses and clusters of buildings, and in the distance the rolling green countryside of the Puy-de-Dôme. 

Although we could go on about the elegance and comfort we experienced at Château de Vollore, of more importance is the family who owns it.  Monsieur and Madame Aubert La Fayette proudly exhibit their family portraits, antiques and collectibles throughout the house.  But two rooms are special for they house letters, papers and collected objects belonging to their illustrious ancestor, Marie-Jean Paul Joseph Roche Yves Gilbert du Motier, the General Marquis de La Fayette -- the French hero of the American Revolutionary War.  We had the honor to walk through these rooms with M. Aubert La Fayette as he described items to us and gave us information about how they came into the possession of the General.  He also kindly told us of the line of descendants from the 18th century to the present day and his wife, Genevieve.

General La Fayette had two daughters and one son whom he named George Washington de La Fayette after his lifelong friend, General Washington.  George Washington de La Fayette married and had two sons who were unable to pass the family name down through sons of their own.  Subsequently, the female descendants of the General Marquis de La Fayette have taken the name. 

Vollore's history and ownership are well documented and the château dates back to the mid-thirteenth century.  It was in 1900 that Gilbert de Pusy La Fayette, the  grandson of George Washington de La Fayette (the only son of the Marquis de La Fayette) took ownership of the château.  The central and northern portions of the château had been restored at the end of the 19th century, and under Gilbert's supervision the south portion of the château was judiciously renovated from 1900 until 1914.    His son, Jean de Pusy La Fayette, born in 1903, died for France on the 7th of February, 1945, at Chauve near Saint-Nazaire.  He had been married three years to Ghislaine de Montalivet and they had a daughter, Genevieve; she and Michel Aubert La Fayette are the current owners and your charming hostess and host! 

Although dinner is not served at the château, nearby are several excellent restaurants, frequented not by tourists but by locals with excellent taste.  Monsieur Aubert de La Fayette will be more than happy to give you easy-to-follow directions.  Breakfasts, on the other hand, are superb!   Served at a long table in the portrait-adorned dining room, you will have the opportunity to meet other guests who, like you, have discovered this incredible part of France.

Madame Aubert La Fayette is not only a descendant of  the  Marquis de La Fayette but also of Rochambeau, put in command of a French army of 6,000 to join the Continental Army in the American Revolution (1780).   He joined forces with General. Washington in 1781 and they marched to Yorktown, where they besieged the British and forced their surrender. He returned to France in 1783, where he commanded the Army of the North in the French Revolution and was made a marshal of France. 

There is also a La Fayette Museum in the castle of the General's birth, Chavagnac, not far away from Château de Vollore.   Although we could not find an "official" web site about the General, we did find  one that mentioned his birth at Chavagnac and continued into great detail about his life and his friendship with Washington and other Americans and his subsequent return to France including political problems he faced there. 

In 1824-25, General Marquis de La Fayette was invited to return to the United States for a long visit.  The Vase d'Argent, shown in this photo, was presented to General La Fayette by the midshipmen of the frigate "Brandywine" and he brought it back to France following his final voyage to the United States in 1824.  He also traveled extensively to each State (there were 24 at the time) and,  upon his return to France,  he took with him large amounts of American soil.  Buried at Le Jardin de Picpus cemetery in Paris, next to his wife, Adrienne de Noailles,  the soil he brought home from America surrounds his casket.

If you have the opportunity to visit Château de Vollore and experience for yourself the fine accommodations and pride of family history you will find there, please don't miss the opportunity.   The family offers escorted tours of the château during July and August for those who are not guests of the chambres d'hôtes.