Château de Bois Rigaud hosts seminars, training days, product launches and weddings for up to 120 seated guests or 140 at a cocktail. Its two event rooms sit in a converted barn, and the estate adds gardens of more than 4,000 m², a 250 m² marquee and beds for 24 people. The property stands above the village of Usson, in the Puy-de-Dôme, 10 minutes from Issoire and 35 minutes south of Clermont-Ferrand.
Seminars and company events
The château rents its rooms by the day or the half day for meetings, conferences, study days, training sessions, cocktails, team building and gala evenings. The day package covers room hire, equipment, a welcome breakfast and a coffee break, and lunch on site can be added. Tables, chairs and flipcharts are provided, and every room has Wi-Fi and a high-definition video projector. From April to October, teams can use the gardens and the marquees between sessions.
For a residential seminar, the 7 bedrooms of the main house sleep 15 people. The heated pool and the jacuzzi stay available during the stay. For downtime, there is a pool table and a pétanque court, and the team can suggest sports, cooking or art activities nearby or work with your own agency.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are sold as an exclusive hire of the whole estate for three days or more, with no time limit on the party. Couples get the château, the gardens, the marquees, both reception rooms and the accommodation. Ceremonies can be held in the park, near a hundred-year-old oak. In summer, the meal can move under the 250 m² marquee, which the château sets up with lighting and furniture. A woodland area with a long table takes about 30 people for a brunch the next day.
Rooms and capacities
The ground-floor room is vaulted and measures 115 m². The château lists it at 90 theater, 40 in a U-shape, 90 cabaret and 130 for a cocktail, and at 80 for a seated wedding dinner. The first-floor room measures 130 m², with a high ceiling and exposed beams. It takes 120 theater, 70 in a U-shape, 120 cabaret, 120 seated for dinner and 140 for a cocktail. Both have a projector and screen. Outside, the gardens cover more than 4,000 m² and the main marquee 250 m².
Accommodation
The main house covers more than 420 m² and has 7 bedrooms: four doubles, two twins and one triple. Two separate apartments sleep 4 and 5 people, and a small dormitory adds beds for group events. Together, the house and the two apartments sleep up to 24 people. Other guesthouses and hotels can be booked in Usson and Issoire. Guests can use the heated pool, jacuzzi, sauna, treatment room, home cinema lounge, billiards and table football.
Catering
For seminars, the château's team serves the welcome breakfast and breaks and can arrange lunch on site. For weddings, couples choose their own caterer and suppliers. The château can recommend contacts and publishes caterer suggestions on its blog. An Ofyr barbecue is available for informal meals.
History and setting
Bois Rigaud was built at the end of the 11th century as a fortified house outside the walls of the Usson fortress. It belonged to Gilles d'Aycelin, then passed to the Augerant family in the 15th century. Louis d'Augerant, ambassador of Francis I to Switzerland, enlarged it in the 16th century and added a second stair tower. Richelieu stayed here several times while the fortress was being torn down after 1634. The house was renovated in 2018 in a contemporary style. Its gardens look over the Livradois hills.
Getting there
By car, take the A75 to exit 13 (Issoire), then follow Parentignat and Usson. The château is about 2 hours from Lyon and Saint-Étienne. Visits are held every week, by appointment only.
