Château de Beauville

The castle occupies a rocky promontory and presents a compact residential complex whose present form reflects medieval foundations overlain by later rebuilding. The main dwelling dates from the late 1500s and sits above older foundations and lower walls that survive from the late 1200s. The overall plan was originally T shaped; one lateral wing no longer stands while the opposing wing shows 19th‑century rebuilding.

The masonry is notable for its thick walls built of high‑quality, finely dressed stone. The lower courses and foundational work record the earliest phase of construction, while the upper façades and openings mainly reflect the sixteenth‑century reconstruction. Part of the upper defensive parapet still carries a crown of machicolations, the projecting openings once used for active defence.

Windows and decorative openings record the residence’s late Renaissance treatments. Several tall openings have paired vertical mullions, and the sixteenth‑century sections feature numerous mullioned windows. Entrance doorways and interior hearths display Renaissance details consistent with the large rebuilding of that period. Internally, a substantial staircase and the old kitchens survive; these elements were formally protected in 1925, indicating their preserved condition. The site’s curtain walls and the ground of the inner court were later recognised and protected in 2006, confirming the survival of the courtyard area and parts of the enclosing fortifications. The building’s long use as gendarmerie barracks from 1831 to 1976 is reflected in nineteenth‑century repairs and the rebuilding of one wing during that century.