16th-century Castle Rebuilt by the Urfé Family

In the 16th century, the manor of La Bâtie d'Urfé was inhabited by the Urfé family, descendants of their mountainous fortress, the Cornes d'Urfé. In 1408, Guichard d'Urfé was appointed the bailiff of Forez by Duke Louis II of Bourbon, a position that remained hereditary for over two centuries. In 1546, Claude d'Urfé, a close friend of the king, rebuilt his residence, La Bâtie, transforming it into a Renaissance-style chateau over the following years. Italian artists created the chapel, a masterpiece adorned with painted frescoes and gypseries. Additionally, a cool room (La Salle de Rocailles) was built according to the Italian Renaissance style, decorated with mythological ornaments made from small shells, pebbles and colored sands. The Urfé family's son, Honoré d'Urfé, published the Astrée in 1607, making the Forez region famous for its small but rare qualities in the rest of Gaul.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons