1522) "Chateau des Ducs de Bourbon", France: La Poste, France (French Post) has issued a postage stamp of 1.16 Euro depicting the famous castle: Date of Stamp issue: 21.09.2020:

1522) "Chateau des Ducs de Bourbon", France: La Poste, France (French Post) has issued a postage stamp of 1.16 Euro depicting the famous castle: Date of Stamp issue: 21.09.2020:

The Chateau des Ducs de Bourbon is a castle in Montlucon, France, which was mostly built by the Dukes of Bourbon.

In 1070, Guillaume, son of Archambaud IV of Bourbon became Seigneur of Montlucan and built a fortress on a castrum.

From 1171 to 1188, the English occupied the Castle of Montlucan. After this invasion, Philip Augustus handed over the castle to the Bourbon family, who transformed it into a stronghold.

Starting from 1370, the remainder of the castle was built during the Hundred Year's War by Louis II, Duke of Bourbon.

The edifice was surrounded by a double row of ramparts, was drilled by four doors and had  41 watch-towers.

During the unification of the Bourbonnais to the crown of France, during the reign of Francis I, the castle was abandoned.

In the first half of the 14th Century, Louis II, Duke of Bourbon was the main contributor to the construction of the castle. It was started during the Hundred Years' War and construction continued way into the Renaissance.

The square tower, the opening of the East façade, the North Wing and the Clock Tower  date back to the middle of the 15th Century.

During the last half of the 15th Century, the gallery was raised on the court and the North side was embellished.

In 1527, the castle was abandoned.

After 1662, the Princes of Conde became lords tenants of crown lands of the Bourbonnais and gave the castle to a farmer, who kept it in a very poor shape.

During the French Revolution, only the Coat of Arms of the Dukes of Bourbon were destroyed from the Clock Tower.

On 08.04.1816, the city of Montlucan bought the castle from Louis Joseph , Prince of Conde to build some military barracks, which led to substantial demolitions in the castle.

The castle wood gallery was taken down to make room for concrete constructions and a court, auditorium of offices for the City Hall of Montlucan were built.

In 1935, the city of Montlucan restored the castlr with the wood gallery coming back. The ceilings from the main rooms of the castle were renovated with panellings, which were recovered and some metal frames were installed.

On 15.05.1926, the Castle was registered as a historical monument.

The Commemorative Stamp:

The Commemorative Stamp of 1.16 Euro is titled - "CHATEAU DES DUCS DE BOURBON - MONTLUCAN ALLIER" and depicts a stylised image of the castle.

The Castle as it stands - present day.

Technical Details:

Date of Stamp issue: 21.09.2020

Designer: Stephane Levallois

Process: Taille Douce

Stamp value: 1.10 Euro

Posts on Coins and stamps issued by France:

 1) Honouring Louis Braille on the Bicentenary of his birth in 2009

2) Honouring Charles Eduord Jeanneret popularly known as Le Corbusieur, the French architect who built the modern city of Chandigarh & several other projects: A 10 Franc Banknote issued by the Swiss National Bank 

3) Fort St. George Museum, Chennai (Part iii): i) Indo-Danish coins ii) Indo-Dutch coins iii) Indo-French coins iv) Indo-Portuguese coins 

4) a) Central Bank of West African States issues: the "Franc African Financial Community" (FCFA) b) Bank of Central African States issues : the "Franc Financial Cooperation in Central Africa (FFCCA)

5) French Indo-China issues: A silver one Paistre coin issued in 1895 

6) Financial Institution for issuing uniform currency/coinage for French Overseas Territories in the Pacific & French Southern Territories of Antarctica: The Institut d'emission d'outre-Mer (IEOM) for French Polynesia (Tahiti), New caledonia, Wallis-et-Futuna and the erstwhile New Hebrides (present day Vanuatu)  

 7) Coinage of the French Polynesian Island of New Caledonia (or Nouvelle-Caledonie in French) - the CFP Franc

8) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's exile to St. Helena (Part I): A one Crown Commemorative Coin issued by the Ascension Island 

9) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's exile to St. Helena (Part II) : coins commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo: 1) A 5 GBP coin issued by the Royal Mint UK: 2) A "Drie Landen Zilverset" issued by the Royal Dutch Mint - which includes coins of Netherlands, Belgium and UK 

 10) Jeanne d'Arc or Joan of Arc or "The Maid of Orleans" or "La Pucelle": "Women of France Coin Series": 200 & 50 Euro gold coins and 10 Euro Silver coins issued by Monnaie de Paris in July 2016

11) i)"Europa Coin Programme" or the Eurostar Programme ii) Monnaie de Paris has issued a series of six coins with the theme "The Age of Iron & Glass" in January 2017

12) 100th Anniversary of Auguste Rodin's passing away commemorated with gold and silver Euro coins issued by the Monnaie de Paris under its on-going "The 7 Arts" Coin Series

 13) Statue of Liberty, Paris, France: "Treasures of Paris": Coin series issued by Monnaie de Paris on 20.01.2017

14) Marianne (or Liberty): "The Trilogy": A set of Euro denominated coins in Gold and silver brought out by Monnaie de Paris in January 2017 

15) Dakota Aircraft & the Berlin Airlift: Latest coins in the "L'Aviation Historie" ("Aviation and History) Coin Series issued in 2018 by the Paris Mint:

16) The "Baroque & Rococo Era" in France : Coins feature, The Hall of Mirrors, Rococo elements of the Palace of Versailles, philosopher Voltaire and the Dancing King Louis XIV in gold & silver coins issued during 2018, under the "Europa Coin Programme"

17) George Sand: "Women of France Coin Series": Third Coin in the Series issued during 2018 by the Monnaie de Paris, France on 04.05.2018

18) "Paris, The Banks of the River Seine" ("Rivos de la Seine") : UNESCO World Heritage Site: "The Louvre Museum"(Musee du Louvre") and "Pont des Arts": Gold and Silver Euro coins issued by the Monnaie de Paris on 14.06.2018

19) Notre Dame de Paris, France "Reconstruction": Monnaie de Paris (The Paris Mint) restrikes 2013 Silver 10 Euro Coin, Bronze Medal and Silver-coloured Mini-Medal, part proceeds of which will go towards the reconstruction of the iconic Cathedral which was partially burnt in a fire on 15.04.2019

20) The Micro-Currency called - "EUSCKO" , France circulates in the French Basque Country and is the largest such currency in circulation today in the world, fully backed by the Euro; ii) It is one of 44 such micro-currencies circulating in French cities; iii) Paris is on the vetge of introducing a micro-currency.

21) Guerlain, France: A set of two stamps in the denominations of 0.97 and 1.94 Euros issued by La Poste, France: Date of Stamp Set issue: 13.01.2020

22) "Ancient Postal Routes", France: A postage stamp of 1.40 Euro issued by La Poste (French Post): Date of Stamp issue: 05.06.2020

23) "Treasures of Notre Dame Cathedral" - Reconstruction over a period of five years (2019-2024): La Poste (French Post) is issuinga series of stamps under its Stamp Series every year till completion of the project: Date of Souvenir Sheet issue: 15.04.2020

24) "Fardier de Cugnot", France: 250th Anniversary of the "Fardier a Vapeur" (1770-2020): "La Post" (French Post) has issued a postage stamp of 1.16 Euro dedicated to the French inventor who built the world's first full-size, self-propelled mechanical land vehicle, the "Fardier a vapeur": Date of Stamp issue: 19.10.2020

25) "Chateau des Ducs de Bourbon", France: La Poste, France (French Post) has issued a postage stamp of 1.16 Euro depicting the famous historic castle: Date of Stamp issue: 21.09.2020