Château de Doumely
Encyclopedia
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...
that dominates the countryside of Porcien, situated in the commune of Doumely-Bégny
Doumely-Bégny
Doumely-Bégny is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the Ardennes
Ardennes (département)
Ardennes is a department in the northeast part of France named after the Ardennes area.- History :The department is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was named after the Ardennes hills, which are located in northeast France, southern...
département of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
The castle was fully restored at the end of the 20th century by its current owner, who had acquired the castle in complete ruins. The structure bears witness to the transformations that successive occupants have made to the castle: filling of the ditches, openings in the façade, destruction of internal levels, etc.
The castle is classified as an official historical monument of France
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...
.
Architecture
The castle is characterised by its four teardrop shaped defensive towers, that once overlooked a moat filled with water.The association "Friends of the Château de Doumely" organises tours to the monument and gives seminars on the topic of life in the middle-ages. The Château de Doumely has been 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 since 1984.