Castellas de Belvezet

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

The castrum is cited in a charter of 1207, and then belonged to the lord of Uzès. The keep presents, in its lower part, on one to two levels, a very hard limestone apparatus while the upper part, like the dwelling block or the enclosure, are built in a more crude manner. This marks a phase of later construction. The round arch vault which currently forms the covering is pierced so as to allow passage for a ladder and a man to a final level of which only the traces of a window remain, on the west side. An interior staircase, of which two steps are still in place in the east wall, allowed access to the door opening onto a hourd on the east side. Openings are rare. In front of the current entrance door, placed on the ground floor, is found a cellar serving as a cistern which has partly retained its waterproof tile render. The south-west angle bears traces of tearing; perhaps from a watch-turret. To the north of the keep, a large hall was built then cut through. This could have been a dwelling block or a guardroom. The south wall of the keep was extended and formed a chemise with the north wall of this building. This ensemble was inserted within a first enclosure flanked by four semi-circular towers at the angles. All of this seems to correspond to a second phase of construction. Perpendicular to the outer enclosure, on the interior side, were still leaning at the beginning of the 20th century against its walls forming a series of small lodges or cells, each possessing a loophole.