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Base Mérimée: Monuments historiques · France

château de Castanet

Pourcharesses, Lozère, France

The record

Designation
Historic monument, registered (inscrit)
Protection
inscrit MH
Extent of protection
Immeuble dit Château de Castanet (cad. B 419) : inscription par arrêté du 2 novembre 1964
Protection dates
1964/11/02 : inscrit MH
Type
château
Main period of construction
16e siècle
Ownership
propriété d'un établissement public, propriété d'une association
Lieu-dit
Lou Chastel
Commune
Pourcharesses
Département
Lozère
Region
Occitanie
Country
France
Coordinates
44.44999, 3.89849
Mérimée reference
PA00103897

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IGN France — Géoportail

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1779 map "90 Viviers." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

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This record on the Ministère de la Culture's POP platform ↗

The Ministère de la Culture's notice

Cet édifice offre actuellement un exemple unique d'architecture cévenole de la deuxième moitié du 16e siècle. Au Moyen Age, la terre de Castanet était comprise dans les domaines des seigneurs pariers de la Garde-Guérin, qui assuraient la police de la route par la voie Regordane, route de Nîmes à Clermont. En 1684, Marie-Suzanne de Varicourt épouse Jacques-Joseph Isarn, propriétaire du château. Celle-ci, protégée de Mme de Maintenon, devint sous-gouvernante des enfants de France. L'éducation du futur Louis XV lui fut confiée. Sa belle-fille eut en charge celles des futurs Louis XVI, Louis XVIII et Charles X. De plan rectangulaire, le château est flanqué de quatre tours dont trois rondes et une barlongue contenant l'escalier. Chacune des tours était munie de canonières, pour la plupart disposées en flanquement. De la tour sud-est partait un élément de courtine se raccordant à un ouvrage avancé, sans doute une poterne débouchant à mi-hauteur de l'escarpement de base et permettant d'accéder à la rivière. D'autres dépendances devaient entourer la cour.

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

This building currently offers a unique example of Cévennes architecture from the second half of the 16th century. In the Middle Ages, the land of Castanet was included in the domains of the feudal lords of La Garde-Guérin, who ensured the policing of the road via the Regordane route, the road from Nîmes to Clermont. In 1684, Marie-Suzanne de Varicourt married Jacques-Joseph Isarn, owner of the château. She, protected by Mme de Maintenon, became under-governess to the children of France. The education of the future Louis XV was entrusted to her. His daughter-in-law was in charge of that of the future Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X. Rectangular in plan, the château is flanked by four towers of which three are round and one is barlongue containing the staircase. Each of the towers was fitted with gun loops, most of them arranged in flanking position. From the south-east tower extended a section of curtain wall connecting to an advanced work, probably a postern opening at mid-height of the base scarp and allowing access to the river. Other outbuildings must have surrounded the courtyard.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Base Mérimée, Ministère de la Culture, data last updated 2026-09-17, reused under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab). Record text is reproduced unchanged. Ministère de la Culture · Licence Ouverte 2.0
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