Château de la Motte-Vesset

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

An earlier castle (now disappeared) was built on a motte. Probably in the early 14th century, a new castle was erected nearby. Surrounded by moats which were dried out in the 19th century, it was arranged around an interior courtyard. On the north side, a porch tower gave access to it; on its south side, the main dwelling offered a compact plan and was flanked at its external angles by round towers (now disappeared); it was provided in the 15th century with a corner staircase turret. The west wing was added in the 16th century (roof structure dated to 1533), then enlarged to the south at the end of the 18th century, in place of a tower demolished or disappeared from the south wing; another wing then closed the courtyard to the east, completed in the 19th century with a lean-to building. The park-facing façades of the residential wings were remodeled between 1835 and 1865. To the north of the castle, the former farmyard was arranged, surrounded by an enclosure and closed to the north by a gatehouse. At the end of the 18th century, stables were built along the courtyard (to the north) and a barn-stable (to the west). In the 19th century, servants' lodgings, kennels and a fruit store were added on the east side. A landscape park was also laid out in the 19th century.

Description

Along the approach drive, a large circular dovecote stands, near a fish pond. The farmyard courtyard is accessed by a passage building fitted with loopholes. To the rear, attached to it are the buildings housing the stables, with stalls and saddlery; on the west side of the courtyard stands the large barn-stable, to the rear of which is attached a press; on the east side of the courtyard, in succession, are the low servants' building, the kennels with their courtyard and exterior niches, and the fruit store building. Access to the castle enclosure is made from the farmyard courtyard by a high square porch tower whose passage is vaulted with rib vaults. Along the castle courtyard, the two main residential wings stand: the south wing, served by a square staircase tower within the thickness of the wall; the west wing, larger, whose west façade overlooking the park presents a classical arrangement. Inside, the various rooms were mostly arranged in the 19th century. The service wing, on the east side of the courtyard, more irregular, houses the vaulted cellars and other service rooms. The landscape park contains trees of different species, a pond and a wash house.