Château de Maniban

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

Castle of the 14th century, formed of three separate buildings around a courtyard. To the east is found the wine-store whose roof is supported by two rows of wooden pillars. A round tower with a square base flanks its façade. To the west, the old building has been extended to the south and north by more recent elements. The fourth side of the courtyard is protected by a crenellated wall, flanked to the north by a round tower pierced with murder holes. The castle seems to have been rebuilt during the 17th century, on a keep or an older Gascon hall. On the first floor, a large room situated above the chapel retains wall paintings of the late 15th-early 16th century, influenced by Île-de-France. On either side of the two mullioned windows are painted couples under ochre curtains. A naked caryatid adorned with braids, with a crown of foliage at the waist, enriches the architectural decoration. A frieze adorned with putti runs at the level of the first floor. In the north-west corner the same motif is found enriched with a tree with exotic foliage.