Château d'Auzon
Encyclopedia
The Château d'Auzon is a ruined 14th century castle
in the commune
of Auzon
in the Haute-Loire
département of France.
, the castle was taken on the 22 September 1589 by the League
forces of Monsieur de Randan. In the 17th century, the buildings were partly demolished. Sold with its estate as a national asset at the time of the French Revolution
, the castle was almost entirely destroyed.
built at the western end of a rocky outcrop dominated by the ramparts on three sides. The fourth side is closed by a curtain wall pierced by a gate. At the end of the north flank is a circular tower with several cannon holes ptotecting the gateway. The central residential building was almost entirely destroyed during the Revolution. The only remnant is a staircase tower, built against galleries and vaulted arcades, that served the upper floors. On the ground floor, in a small vaulted room, is a painted icon that is difficult to identify. This room could have been the old oratory of the castle. In the 19th century, a house was built on the ancient base of part of the structure.
It has been listed since 1989 as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Auzon
Auzon
Auzon is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France....
in the Haute-Loire
Haute-Loire
Haute-Loire is a department in south-central France named after the Loire River.-History:Haute-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
département of France.
History
The first known lord, Bernard d'Auzon, was mentioned in 1078. During the French Wars of ReligionFrench Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
, the castle was taken on the 22 September 1589 by the League
Catholic League (French)
The Catholic League of France, sometimes referred to by contemporary Roman Catholics as the Holy League, a major player in the French Wars of Religion, was formed by Duke Henry of Guise in 1576...
forces of Monsieur de Randan. In the 17th century, the buildings were partly demolished. Sold with its estate as a national asset at the time of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the castle was almost entirely destroyed.
Description
The edifice consists of a fortified enceinteEnceinte
Enceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle....
built at the western end of a rocky outcrop dominated by the ramparts on three sides. The fourth side is closed by a curtain wall pierced by a gate. At the end of the north flank is a circular tower with several cannon holes ptotecting the gateway. The central residential building was almost entirely destroyed during the Revolution. The only remnant is a staircase tower, built against galleries and vaulted arcades, that served the upper floors. On the ground floor, in a small vaulted room, is a painted icon that is difficult to identify. This room could have been the old oratory of the castle. In the 19th century, a house was built on the ancient base of part of the structure.
It has been listed since 1989 as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture.