Château de Sévérac
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...
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 Sévérac-le-Château
Sévérac-le-Château
Sévérac-le-Château is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.The Château de Sévérac is a 13th-century castle that dominates the town. It is open to the public.-Population:-References:*...
in the Aveyron
Aveyron
Aveyron is a département in southern France named after the Aveyron River.- History :Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790....
département of France.
The castle site has belonged to several families: the Sévéracs, Armagnacs, and Arpajons. The latter built a 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...
style castle whose south face can still be seen.
Visitors today can see ramparts, walls, watch towers, the chapel and kitchen, in which demonstrations of medieval cooking are given. An exhibition of medieval costumes can be seen in the chapel and recitals of troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
music and demonstrations of their instruments are held.
The Château de Sévérac is one of a group of 23 castles in Aveyron who have grouped together to provide a tourist itinerary as La Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue. The property of the commune, the castle is 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
Minister of Culture (France)
The Minister of Culture is, in the Government of France, the cabinet member in charge of national museums and monuments; promoting and protecting the arts in France and abroad; and managing the national archives and regional "maisons de culture"...
.
Sources
- www.culture.gouv.fr, accessed 31 Jan 2007
- Part of this article was initially translated from a section of this Wikipedia article « :fr:Sévérac-le-Château », specifically from this version.