At the time of its construction, originally around 800, it was on a promontory standing some 50 metres above the river Loire. The building of the Grangent dam means that it is now on a small island in a lake, the lac de Grangent. It is overlooked by the larger castle, the Château d'Essalois. During the Middle Ages and later, it suffered destruction, rebuilding and several restorations.
