Château de Landreville
Encyclopedia
The Château de Landreville is a castle
situated in the commune
of Bayonville
in the Ardennes
département of France
.
Within the territory of a 12th century châtelain
, the castle was built in the early 13th century and remodelled in the middle of the 16th century. The Château de Landreville, situated in the Argonne Ardennaise region, is a rectangular "maison forte" (strong house) flanked by four cylindrical towers with 'pepper-pot' roofs, surrounded by water-filled moats, with a six hectares park, stables and two pavilions. The castle has been classified as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture since 2006.
It is a rare example of a still practically intact manorial residence of the pre-Renaissance
Ardennes region.
In 800 years of history it has witnessed the lives of many families, including the Landrevilles, Grandprés, Chennerys, Beauvais, Maillarts, Meixmorons... The portrait of Claude François de Maillart, lord and marquis de Landreville, was painted by Nicolas de Largillière
around 1735.
On three floors, rectangular fire holes are let into the towers to provide protection for the four sides. They still have the support bars that made it possible to stabilise the weapon.
The main door is decorated with embossed designs and statuettes of caryatid
s, characteristic of the French Renaissance after 1550.
The lower stage is entirely vaulted in stone. In the kitchen, the vaulting is supported by a single pillar in the centre, as was usual. One of the towers contains a spiral staircase. The two floors each include French-style ceilings and chimneys. The two chimneys on the first floor were partly modified in the 19th century.
The buildings which surround the castle are all more recent. The manager's house carries the year 1773. A symmetrical building is an addition from the end of the 19th century. At that time, the buildings located at the south-western entry to the castle were destroyed. The castle is testimony to the military architecture of 16th century Ardennes.
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 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 Bayonville
Bayonville
Bayonville is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.-Population:...
in the Ardennes
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...
.
Within the territory of a 12th century châtelain
Châtelain
Châtelain was originally merely the French equivalent of the English castellan, i.e. the commander of a castle....
, the castle was built in the early 13th century and remodelled in the middle of the 16th century. The Château de Landreville, situated in the Argonne Ardennaise region, is a rectangular "maison forte" (strong house) flanked by four cylindrical towers with 'pepper-pot' roofs, surrounded by water-filled moats, with a six hectares park, stables and two pavilions. The castle has been classified 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 2006.
It is a rare example of a still practically intact manorial residence of the pre-Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
Ardennes region.
In 800 years of history it has witnessed the lives of many families, including the Landrevilles, Grandprés, Chennerys, Beauvais, Maillarts, Meixmorons... The portrait of Claude François de Maillart, lord and marquis de Landreville, was painted by Nicolas de Largillière
Nicolas de Largillière
Nicolas de Largillière was a painter born in Paris, France.-Early life:Largillière's father, a merchant, took him to Antwerp at the age of three. As a boy, he spent nearly two years in London. Sometime after his return to Antwerp, a failed attempt at business led him to the studio of Goubeau...
around 1735.
Description
Construction of the current building dates from the middle of the 16th century, the date of 1567 being seen on one of the chimneys. The building plan is typical since the 15th century, with a rectangular home confined by four round towers. The moat remains visible on three sides.On three floors, rectangular fire holes are let into the towers to provide protection for the four sides. They still have the support bars that made it possible to stabilise the weapon.
The main door is decorated with embossed designs and statuettes of caryatid
Caryatid
A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese...
s, characteristic of the French Renaissance after 1550.
The lower stage is entirely vaulted in stone. In the kitchen, the vaulting is supported by a single pillar in the centre, as was usual. One of the towers contains a spiral staircase. The two floors each include French-style ceilings and chimneys. The two chimneys on the first floor were partly modified in the 19th century.
The buildings which surround the castle are all more recent. The manager's house carries the year 1773. A symmetrical building is an addition from the end of the 19th century. At that time, the buildings located at the south-western entry to the castle were destroyed. The castle is testimony to the military architecture of 16th century Ardennes.