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Base Mérimée: Monuments historiques · France

Château de Saint-Saturnin

Saint-Saturnin, Lozère, France

The record

Designation
Historic monument, classified (classé)
Protection
classé MH
Extent of protection
Château (cad. A 313, 314) : classement par arrêté du 6 novembre 1995
Protection dates
1995/11/06 : classé MH
Type
château
Main period of construction
14e siècle, 16e siècle, 1er quart 17e siècle
Ownership
propriété d'une société privée
Commune
Saint-Saturnin
Département
Lozère
Region
Occitanie
Country
France
Coordinates
44.41204, 3.18880
Mérimée reference
PA00135398

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David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1780 map "55 Mende." (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

Au 13e siècle, le château féodal est mentionné dans le domaine du roi de France et sert à verrouiller le domaine royal du Gévaudan face au Rouergue. De 1307 à 1656, il appartient aux Montferrand, famille maternelle du pape Urbain V. Au cours des guerres de Religion, il sert de garnison royale. L'édifice se présente comme un quadrilatère cantonné de trois tours rondes et d'une carrée. Le corps de logis jouxte cette dernière et forme l'aile sud avec un escalier hors-oeuvre dans la cour. La tour carrée est le donjon médiéval, couronné de mâchicoulis. Les planchers ont disparu mais il conserve deux baies trilobées qui permettent de le dater de la fin du 13e ou du début du 14e siècle, époque à laquelle le roi de France, en conflit avec l'évêque de Mende, refortifia ses châteaux. Au 16e siècle, un corps de logis est accolé à ce donjon. De l'escalier rampe sur rampe construit en hors-oeuvre sur la cour, ne subsiste que le mur d'échiffre. Le mur d'enceinte joignant les tours rondes a disparu en grande partie. Seuls les piédroits du portail indiquent son emplacement. La tour carrée, presque intacte, serait l'unique donjon royal subsistant dans la vallée du Lot.

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

In the 13th century, the feudal castle is mentioned in the domain of the King of France and serves to lock the royal domain of Gévaudan against Rouergue. From 1307 to 1656, it belongs to the Montferrand, the maternal family of Pope Urban V. During the Wars of Religion, it serves as a royal garrison. The building is presented as a quadrilateral flanked by three round towers and one square tower. The main dwelling adjoins this latter and forms the south wing with an external staircase in the courtyard. The square tower is the medieval keep, crowned with machicolations. The floors have disappeared but it preserves two trilobed openings which allow it to be dated to the end of the 13th or beginning of the 14th century, a period when the King of France, in conflict with the Bishop of Mende, refortified his castles. In the 16th century, a main dwelling is attached to this keep. Of the flight-on-flight staircase constructed externally in the courtyard, only the stringers wall remains. The enclosure wall joining the round towers has largely disappeared. Only the door jambs indicate its location. The square tower, almost intact, would be the only surviving royal keep in the Lot valley.

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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