The historic centre of the village
Over 700 years of history
The heart of Empurany is a medieval fort with a square tower at its centre and a chapel. The first mention of the fort dates back to the end of the 13th century.
Several lineages had rights to the castle: the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem, the Tournons and the Retourtours.
The tower is municipal property and was in danger of collapsing. In order to preserve this historical heritage, it was completely renovated in 2025 and now houses several exhibition spaces dedicated to history and sacred art.
Photo © Archeodunum
The Medieval Fortress of Empurany
The Medieval Tower
A building remodelled over time
In the Middle Ages, it is believed that the fort’s tower represented seigneurial power.
Archaeological excavations carried out over the course of a year will enable us to determine the date of foundation and the evolution of the fort and its tower, as well as the evolution of the site over the centuries.
The tower was completely renovated in 2025 and now houses two exhibition spaces, one dedicated to the history of Empurany and the other to sacred art.
Saint-Michel Church
The church at the origin of the fort
The church at the origin of the fort Nothing is known about the church of Empurany before the end of the 13th century, when it was first mentioned in the 1275 tithe account of the diocese of Vienne. The first mention in written sources does not correspond to the foundation of the church, which is clearly much older than the 13th century, as suggested by the name Saint Michael.
Historians hypothesise that a church town was the origin of the medieval fort.
Its architectural style is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic.
The stained glass windows by Charles Borie
The work of a master glassmaker from Le Puy
The church has 14 stained glass windows, most of which are signed by the famous master glassmaker Charles Borie from Le Puy-en-Velay. Born in 1877, he created remarkable works that still adorn the Velay and Haute-Loire regions.
He spread his colours in the creation of some 1,500 stained glass windows distributed among 320 churches and 16 departments or territories. He even took his talent as far as Hawaii. Among other things, we owe him the famous dome of La Verveine du Velay in Le Puy-en-Velay, as well as twelve stained glass windows in the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart in Honolulu.
The exhibition on history
The exhibition on history
From antiquity to the present day
From ancient times to the present day, history retraces the highlights of Empurany’s historical and intangible heritage.
Vineyards and forges have been the main areas of expertise since the Middle Ages.
The exhibition also features a 17th-century trompe l’oeil painting and 18th-century ceramics, fragments of which were discovered during archaeological excavations.
The Sacred Art Exhibition
The Sacred Art Exhibition
Religious heritage
Whether we are believers or not, we are all touched by the beauty of sacred art.
This exhibition presents liturgical objects dedicated to Catholic worship. They bear witness to our history and to the talent of the artists, both famous and humble, who created them. We invite you to discover them with simplicity and the respect they deserve.
The Medieval Garden
The Medieval Garden
Walk in the garden
There are few traces left of medieval gardens. And no one knows whether such a garden existed in Empurany in the Middle Ages.
If they have come down to us, it is mostly because they were recounted or drawn in manuscripts, on tapestries or thanks to period illuminations that have made it possible to recreate these marvellous gardens.
The renovation of the tower has created a trail for discovering medieval plants, both inside and outside.
An ancient basin discovered during archaeological excavations has been placed among the flowerbeds to perpetuate the tradition of water in this enclosed garden.
The Medieval Garden
For these exhibitions, we wanted to call upon the services of skilled craftsmen in order to promote the expertise of our region. Art restorers, cabinetmakers, potters, metal engravers, upholsterers and stained glass artists all combined their talents to enhance this journey of discovery.
Practical information and bookings
- Free access
- Accessibility for persons with reduced mobility
- The exhibitions are open during the school holidays.
- Open days : wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday and sunday
- From 10:30 am till 12:00 am and 2:00 pm till 5:00 pm
- Upon reservation only
- For school group visits, bookings must be made directly with the town hall.
04 75 06 70 74
mairie@empurany.fr
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