Château de Couffour
Encyclopedia
The Château de Couffour is a ruined castle
situated in the French commune
of Chaudes-Aigues
in the Cantal
département.
The original 15th century castle, with seven towers with conical roof, was witness to the importance of this place during the Hundred Years War. The present remains consist of a tower and neighbouring buildings. The circular tower has attached to it, on the west, a smaller tower containing the spiral staircase that gives access to the upper floors. The ground floor, noticeably square, is vaulted. The rooms on the three upper floors display a more or less similar layout. Small circular rooms communicate with each of these rooms. On the first floor, one room still has 17th century paintings where, on a background of bouquets of leaves and flowers, are inset portraits of women and landscapes in rectangular frames. The first floor room has an 18th century painted wooden fireplace.
In the 18th century, the castle was sold to a local owner. The French Revolution
and the early 19th century were a period of decline; poorly maintained, the castle fell into disrepair. Now the property of the commune of Chaudes-Aigues, Château de Couffour is listed 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...
situated in the French 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 Chaudes-Aigues
Chaudes-Aigues
Chaudes-Aigues is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France. It is a spa town, famous for its hot spring waters.-Geography:The commune is situated in the Massif Central in Aubrac...
in the Cantal
Cantal
Cantal is a department in south-central France. It is named after the Cantal mountain range, a group of extinct, eroded volcanic peaks, which covers much of the department. Residents are known as Cantaliens or Cantalous....
département.
The original 15th century castle, with seven towers with conical roof, was witness to the importance of this place during the Hundred Years War. The present remains consist of a tower and neighbouring buildings. The circular tower has attached to it, on the west, a smaller tower containing the spiral staircase that gives access to the upper floors. The ground floor, noticeably square, is vaulted. The rooms on the three upper floors display a more or less similar layout. Small circular rooms communicate with each of these rooms. On the first floor, one room still has 17th century paintings where, on a background of bouquets of leaves and flowers, are inset portraits of women and landscapes in rectangular frames. The first floor room has an 18th century painted wooden fireplace.
In the 18th century, the castle was sold to a local owner. 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...
and the early 19th century were a period of decline; poorly maintained, the castle fell into disrepair. Now the property of the commune of Chaudes-Aigues, Château de Couffour is listed 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.
External links
Sources
- www.culture.gouv.fr, accessed 6 Feb 2007