Château de Melzéard

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 keep and the tower transformed into a chapel date from the 15th century. The base of the smaller tower, to the east of the keep, was fitted out as a chapel between the 15th and 16th centuries. Other towers strengthened the boundary wall against which buildings for commoners and habitation leaned, the whole forming a rectangular courtyard whose opening was to the east. The rectangular dwelling furnished with square towers (prior to the 16th century, remodelled in the 17th and on the eve of the Revolution) had its front façade opening to the east. A wing at right angles connected the dwelling to the keep. In front of the main entrance stood a dovecote built before the end of the 17th century. Between 1780 and 1832, the main body was extended to the north, in place of the demolished tower which became a pavilion. The commoners' buildings connecting the dwelling to the keep, as well as those to the east of the courtyard were demolished. The commoners' buildings that closed the north side of the courtyard were extended to the east and a new orangery and barn were built in the garden. The last campaign of works completely remodelled the estate in 1885. The dwelling and part of the dependencies were demolished. The architect Ojam rebuilt a new dwelling, accompanied by dependencies and a park. In February 1993, the 19th-century castle was ravaged by fire and sold by lots.