Ancien château de Montguignard

English translation

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History

Some vestiges have been preserved from buildings predating the current structure. The main entrance has protruding features protected by two decapitated towers. These remains of fortifications are from the 16th century. The gate, flanked by a postern, is an opening which can be dated to the 14th century, formed of a pointed arch with sharp arrises, reinforced at the rear by a round arch. The buildings located to the east preserve a square room which serves as a cellar. Access is made by a staircase which opens to the outside by a basket-handle arch door, with arrises cut back by chamfers which could date to the 16th century. This staircase leads to a first cellar covered with a barrel vault. From the south-east wall of this cellar runs a narrow corridor, barrel-vaulted, which leads to another room. This latter comprises, at the centre, a round column with a hook-type capital, of a type classic to the 13th century. On the square abacus meet the eight ribs of the vaults, four transverse arches and four diagonal ones. The ensemble of vaults thus forms four square sectors, each of them vaulted with a rib vault. From the 13th century also can be dated a start of a staircase which springs at the angle north of the north-east wall and which, after a sharp turn, seems to be directed towards the north-west. This is doubtless the lower hall of an old square keep. The first construction of this keep would predate the 13th century. In the 13th century, this lower hall was vaulted and the gate alone was preserved.