Château de Lacassagne
Encyclopedia
Note: the name is frequently given as Château de La Cassagne. The name employed here is as used by the French Ministry of Culture.
The Château de Lacassagne is a castle
in the commune
of Saint-Avit-Frandat
in the Gers
département of France.
The Château de Lacassagne is thought to date from the latter half of the 15th century, with additions and alterations made in every century until the 19th. It originated as an ancient salle (hall) and was altered in the 15th century with the addition of a spiral staircase and windows.
A residence was added in the 17th century. On the first floor, in a room known as the Salle des Chevaliers de Malte, the painted decor was done between 1620 and 1640 for Jean Bertrand de Luppé, prior of St Gilles, and intended as a replica of the grand council hall of the Knights of St John
of Malta
. Among the pictures are copies of Matteo da Leccio
's paintings representing the attack on Valletta
by the Turks
in 1565. (The originals are in the
council chamber of the Grandmaster's Palace
in Malta).
In the 18th century, a west wing was added.
The Château de Lacassagne has been listed since 1980 as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture. It is open to the public.
The Château de Lacassagne is a castle
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 Saint-Avit-Frandat
Saint-Avit-Frandat
Saint-Avit-Frandat is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the Gers
Gers
The Gers is a department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the southwest of France named after the Gers River.Inhabitants are called les Gersois or Gersoises.-History:...
département of France.
The Château de Lacassagne is thought to date from the latter half of the 15th century, with additions and alterations made in every century until the 19th. It originated as an ancient salle (hall) and was altered in the 15th century with the addition of a spiral staircase and windows.
A residence was added in the 17th century. On the first floor, in a room known as the Salle des Chevaliers de Malte, the painted decor was done between 1620 and 1640 for Jean Bertrand de Luppé, prior of St Gilles, and intended as a replica of the grand council hall of the Knights of St John
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. Among the pictures are copies of Matteo da Leccio
Matteo Perez d'Aleccio
Matteo Perez d'Aleccio was an Italian painter of devotional, historical and maritime subjects during the Mannerist period. He was also known as Matteo da Lecce or Leccio by virtue of his hometown of Lecce....
's paintings representing the attack on Valletta
Valletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
by the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1565. (The originals are in the
council chamber of the Grandmaster's Palace
Grandmaster's Palace
The Grandmaster's Palace is located in Valletta. It currently houses the Office of the President of Malta and the House of Representatives, as well as being a heritage site run by Heritage Malta.-History:...
in Malta).
In the 18th century, a west wing was added.
The Château de Lacassagne has been listed since 1980 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. It is open to the public.