No. 56366
Castle of Miraval
France
CastleIntact12th century
No. 23475
No. 23475 · 43.725 N, 2.292 E
Quick summary
Château de Castelfranc is a château in France, listed as reference No. 23475.
Château de Castelfranc is a château in France with origins associated with the 17th century.
See all castles in FranceChâteau de Castelfranc stands in Montredon-Labessonnié, France.
In the early 17th century Guillaume de Nautonier, who served as geographer to King Henri IV, developed the site. He had an elevated viewing pavilion added in 1610 and established an astronomical observatory there, an installation described in the record as the oldest of its kind in France.
The estate suffered direct violence in 1628 when it was pillaged and destroyed.
A major rebuilding campaign took place in 1835 under the chevalier de Solages. He reconstructed the residence at the edge of the esplanade that had held the earlier castle, adding annexes and incorporating architectural fragments and sculpted pieces taken from buildings in Toulouse. The rebuilt property passed by inheritance into the family of Pierre de Bernis. In the present fabric the belvedere, dating to 1610, remains the only surviving element of the older castle. On 1 December 1993 the main façade, the belvedere, the orangery and the chapel were given partial protection as a historical monument.
Condition
The layout presents a rectangular main range, formerly used as a stable, set beside a square tower that functioned as an observatory. The tower is associated with Guillaume de Nautonier’s early 17th-century establishment of astronomical work at the site and is recorded as an early observatory in France.
An external wooden gallery runs around the top storey of the building. Constructed as a projecting timber walkway following a medieval defensive principle, this gallery encircles the upper floor and gives the castle its distinctive silhouette above the esplanade.
The belvedere, erected in 1610, survives in situ and is identified as the sole remnant of the pre-17th-century castle. The 1835 reconstruction reused stone fragments and sculptural elements taken from Toulouse buildings; these pieces were incorporated into the new annexes and into the main façades created by the chevalier de Solages.
The site also contains an orangery and a private chapel, both of which, together with the main façade and the belvedere, are specifically protected under the 1 December 1993 designation. The protected elements remain on the property and form the principal archaeological and architectural features documented at Château de Castelfranc.
Location
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