When was the Clock Tower built?

The tower was built in the thirteenth century as a fortified access gate to the town of Dun.

What was the castle used for in recent centuries?

In the seventeenth century it housed administrative offices and a prison; in the nineteenth century it continued to serve as a prison and assizes hall.

Why did the tower lose its function as a town gate?

When a new fortification was built to the east in the fourteenth century, it ceased to control access to the town but retained its role as a belfry.

Château de Dun-sur-Auron

Dun-sur-Auron Castle

Dun-sur-Auron

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Dun-sur-Auron

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

This week in the agenda

Escape Game : Pour le meilleur et pour le pireFri, Nov 6 · château de Meauce38 km

Château de Dun-sur-Auron stands in Dun-sur-Auron (Cher), in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. The building is listed as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: first quarter of the 13th century, 14th century, 15th century). No visits are on record for this building.

The castle of Dun-sur-Auron centers on a clock tower, formerly a fortified gateway from the thirteenth century. Built as part of the town's second defensive system, it served as the main entrance before losing that function when a new fortified enclosure was constructed a century later. The structure underwent significant alterations in the late Middle Ages, notably the addition of a spiral staircase in the fifteenth century. Now converted into a museum, the site preserves the successive transformations of the fortress, from its medieval origins through its administrative and judicial roles in later periods.

What to know

The site operates as a museum; check hours and access conditions before visiting.
The tower dates from the early thirteenth century and was entirely reworked in the late fifteenth century.
The castle served as prison and courthouse in the nineteenth century before its current transformation.
The structure has been listed as a historical monument since 1913.

Where this château is

Dun-sur-Auron · Cher · Centre-Val de Loire

Map of the area around Château de Dun-sur-Auron

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Dun-sur-Auron, Cher

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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Heritage status: Listed historic monument (classé); Mérimée record PA00096788
Period of construction: first quarter of the 13th century, 14th century, 15th century

Frequently asked

When was the Clock Tower built?: The tower was built in the thirteenth century as a fortified access gate to the town of Dun.
What was the castle used for in recent centuries?: In the seventeenth century it housed administrative offices and a prison; in the nineteenth century it continued to serve as a prison and assizes hall.
Why did the tower lose its function as a town gate?: When a new fortification was built to the east in the fourteenth century, it ceased to control access to the town but retained its role as a belfry.