Château de Mérens
Encyclopedia
The Château de Mérens is a castle
in the commune
of Mérens
in the Gers
département of France.
Construction of the castle dates from the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th centuries. It was altered in the early 17th century.
The hub of the castle corresponds to the original Gascon
structure; the south west square tower belongs to this period of construction. At the start of the 17th century, the castle was furnished with a new system of defence, including a round walk. At the same time, windows were added and the internal layout altered. In the west elements of the medieaval enceinte
can be seen in the wine cellar. Works carried out between 1604 and 1613 concentrated on providing windows and on doubling the height of the east façade
The castle was later converted for agricultural use.
It has been listed since 2003 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 Mérens
Mérens
Mérens 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.
Construction of the castle dates from the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th centuries. It was altered in the early 17th century.
The hub of the castle corresponds to the original Gascon
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
structure; the south west square tower belongs to this period of construction. At the start of the 17th century, the castle was furnished with a new system of defence, including a round walk. At the same time, windows were added and the internal layout altered. In the west elements of the medieaval enceinte
Enceinte
Enceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle....
can be seen in the wine cellar. Works carried out between 1604 and 1613 concentrated on providing windows and on doubling the height of the east façade
The castle was later converted for agricultural use.
It has been listed since 2003 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.