Château de Ners
Encyclopedia
The Château de Ners is a ruined castle
standing on a hill dominating the valley of the Pichauris. It is located north east of the town of Allauch in the commune
of Allauch
in the Bouches-du-Rhône
département of France.
of the enceinte
was constructed at the beginning of the 12th century by Raimond I, Bishop
of Marseille
, to protect his right to levy tolls. All that remains today are ruins.
The castle is also known under the name of Castèu-Vièi (literally "old castle" in Provençal
), and also as Château de la Reine Jeanne - Castle of Queen Jeanne (Joan I of Naples
) - though there is no documentary record to confirm that it was ever in her possession or that she could have come to live there; however, the legend holds on.
Within the enceinte formed by the ramparts linking the two towers which defended the north east and south west, are three walls of 4 to 5 metres in height which formed the three sides of an edifice which seemed to have been a church. This church was dedicated to Saint Stephen
and would have had baptismal font
s, which helps to explain the importance of the site at the time, given that towards the east are the ruins of a wall, about 50 metres long, onto which lean the remains of what would have been numerous dwellings.
The Notre-Dame de Beauvois Chapel and the remains of the castle have been listed since 28 December 1984 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...
standing on a hill dominating the valley of the Pichauris. It is located north east of the town of Allauch 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 Allauch
Allauch
Allauch is a French commune situated east of Marseille in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France. Its inhabitants are called Allaudians.- Location :...
in the Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône is a department in the south of France named after the mouth of the Rhône River. It is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its INSEE and postal code is 13.-History of the department:...
département of France.
History
The double curtain wallCurtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
of the enceinte
Enceinte
Enceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle....
was constructed at the beginning of the 12th century by Raimond I, Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, to protect his right to levy tolls. All that remains today are ruins.
The castle is also known under the name of Castèu-Vièi (literally "old castle" in Provençal
Provençal
Provençal may refer to:*Provençal, meaning "of Provence", a region of France*Provençal dialect, a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the south-east of France*Provençal, meaning the whole Occitan language...
), and also as Château de la Reine Jeanne - Castle of Queen Jeanne (Joan I of Naples
Joan I of Naples
Joan I , born Joanna of Anjou, was Queen of Naples from 1343 until her death. She was also Countess of Provence and Forcalquier, Queen consort of Majorca and titular Queen of Jerusalem and Sicily 1343–82, and Princess of Achaea 1373/5–81....
) - though there is no documentary record to confirm that it was ever in her possession or that she could have come to live there; however, the legend holds on.
Architecture
A detailed description by Saurel of the ruins around 1877 appears in volume two of Dictionnaire des Bouches-du-Rhône. On a small hill surrounded by the stream of the Jarret there remain the remnants of two square towers with thick walls. One of the towers has two floors; an arched door to the lower floor opens into a vaulted room 6 metres by 2.75 metres (the detritus on the ground was 2.5 metres thick in 1877), with above the vestiges of an identical room whose side wall was totally missing. This part had possibly been joined to the rest of the castle. A small window opens out above the entrance; this bay measures 0.9 m by 0.5 m externally and 0.6 by .01 internally. The east wall is pierced by a large opening.Within the enceinte formed by the ramparts linking the two towers which defended the north east and south west, are three walls of 4 to 5 metres in height which formed the three sides of an edifice which seemed to have been a church. This church was dedicated to Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
and would have had baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
s, which helps to explain the importance of the site at the time, given that towards the east are the ruins of a wall, about 50 metres long, onto which lean the remains of what would have been numerous dwellings.
The Notre-Dame de Beauvois Chapel and the remains of the castle have been listed since 28 December 1984 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
- Text by Madame Combaluzier in the bulletin Allauch historique n°2, online at Allauch Touist Office