There are numerous

castles A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

in the

Aveyron Aveyron (; oc, Avairon; ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyronnais'' (masculine) or ''Aveyronnaises'' (feminine) in French. The inhabitants o ...

''département'' of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Many are little more than ruins and some are barely discernible, while others have been converted into modern homes. Castles or their remains may be found at the following locations, among others: * Belcastel The oldest part of the

Château de Belcastel The Château de Belcastel is a medieval castle in the village and commune of Belcastel, Aveyron, Belcastel, in the Aveyron ''département'' of France. It is situated above the north bank of the river Aveyron (river), Aveyron, downstream from Rodez ...

dates back to the 9th century. () * Bertholène The Château des Bourines was built in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. It has been listed as ''

monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...

'' since 1963. () * Bousquet 14th century castle, intact and occupied, in the village of Le Bousquet, commune of Montpeyroux.() * Coupiac 15th century Château de Coupiac. () *

Espalion Espalion (; oc, Espaliu) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. Population Sights * Château de Calmont d'Olt *The Pont-Vieux (Old Bridge) is part of the World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in Fr ...

The

Château de Calmont d'Olt The Château de Calmont d'Olt is a castle situated in France, in the Aveyron ''département'' in the ''commune'' of Espalion. Perched atop a basalt dyke at an altitude of 535 m, it overlooks from 100 m the town of Espalion and the valley of the L ...

overlooks the town. (). The Château de Masse, also in Espalion, is another castle which is a protected ''monument historique''. () * Estaing The Château d'Estaing was built in the 15th century, with alterations in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was vandalised during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

and confiscated as a national asset. In 1863, it became a convent. In 1930 a new chapel was built near the 15th century chapel. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the castle was converted into a religious retreat. The castle consists of buildings of different heights arranged around a terrace. () * Fayet Château de Fayet () * Flagnac The ruins of the Château de Pagax date from the 15th century and have been a protected ''monument historique'' since 1978. () * Gabriac The Château de Tholet was originally built in the 16th century and altered in the 19th century. Preserved are the

keep A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...

, a tower and the surrounding ''

enceinte Enceinte (from Latin incinctus: girdled, surrounded) is a French term that refers to the "main defensive enclosure of a fortification". For a castle, this is the main defensive line of wall towers and curtain walls enclosing the position. For ...

''. It is privately owned and has been protected as a ''monument historique'' since 1946. () * Gissac With origins going back to the 10th century, the

Château de Montaigut The Château de Montaigut is a castle in the French ''commune'' of Gissac in the ''département'' of Aveyron. It is a listed monument since 1987. The first traces of the Château de Montaigut date from the 10th century. Built on a rocky outcrop ...

ruins have been restored. () * Lacroix-Barrez Château de Valon is a ruined

hilltop castle A hilltop castle is a type of hill castle that was built on the summit of a hill or mountain. In the latter case it may be termed a mountaintop castle. The term is derived from the German, ''Gipfelburg'', which is one of a number of terms used ...

from the 14th century, protected as a ''monument historique'' since 1925. () *

Lapanouse Lapanouse (; oc, La Panosa) is a former commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Sévérac-d'Aveyron.Lassouts The Château de Roquelaure is a 12th-century noted for its chapel and interior decor. The property of the commune, it has been protected as a ''monument historique'' since 1981. () *

Marnhagues-et-Latour Marnhagues-et-Latour (; oc, Marnhagas e la Tor) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. Geography The Sorgues flows west-northwest through the commune; the Latour hamlet lies on its right bank. The Marnhagues hamlet lies i ...

Château de Latour () * Montjaux The Château de Montjaux dates from the 15th century. () * Montpeyroux The Château du Bousquet is a 14th-century castle. Of note are the façades, roofs, tower, kitchen and the dining room with wood panelling. On the first floor, the great hall has a painted wooden chimney. The chapel door and painted ceiling are also noteworthy. Privately owned, it has been protected as a ''monument historique'' since 1928. () * Mostuéjouls The Château de Mostuéjouls (built in the 13th century, with additions and alterations in the 15th, 17th and 18th) is particularly noted for its wall paintings dating from the early 16th century. () * Mouret Château de la Servayrie () and Château Mage. *

Najac Najac () is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. Najac station has rail connections to Toulouse, Figeac and Aurillac. Najac village is set along a ridge above a bend in the river Aveyron. In the earlier part of the last ...

The

Château de Najac Château de Najac or the royal fortress of Najac ( Languedocien: ''Castèl de Najac'') is located in Najac, in the Aveyron ''département'', in southern France. The castle was built in 1253 by the villagers on the orders of Alphonse de Poitiers, ...

was built in 1253 on the site of an older castle. () * Naussac The Château de Marinesque dates from the 14th century and is a protected ''monument historique''. () * Peyrusse-le-Roc The Château Inférieur is a 12th/13th century castle with a history going back much further. It was already in ruins by 1668 and, today, all that remains are two towers. () * Pomayrols () * Pruines The Château de Pruines, dating back to the 15th century, has been much modified over the centuries. () *

Recoules-Prévinquières Recoules-Prévinquières (; Languedocien: ''Recolas e Previnquièiras'') is a former commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Sévérac-d'Aveyron.parquet flooring and painted walls. It has been protected as a ''monument historique'' since 2001. (). The Château du Méjanel dates from the 15th and 16th centuries and is also a ''monument historique'', noted for its façades and roofs as well as monumental chimney in the great hall on the first floor. () * Rivière-sur-Tarn The Château de Peyrelade was strategically one of the most important castles in the

Rouergue Rouergue (; ) is a former province of France, corresponding roughly with the modern department of Aveyron. Its historical capital is Rodez. It is bounded on the north by Auvergne, on the south and southwest by Languedoc, on the east by Gévaudan ...

and the site of many battles between its construction in the 12th century and its destruction in 1633. () *

Saint-Affrique Saint-Affrique (; Languedocien: ''Sant Africa'') is a commune in the Aveyron department in Southern France. History Saint-Affrique grew in the 6th century around the tomb of St. Africain, bishop of Comminges. In the 12th century a fortress ...

The Château de Mas Rougier is a privately owned 14th century castle, with a tower, turret, the elevation and roof protected as a ''monument historique'' since 1979. () *

Saint-Côme-d'Olt Saint-Côme-d'Olt (, literally ''Saint-Côme of Olt''; oc, Sant Cosme) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. It is one of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (most beautiful villages of France). Geography The commune is ...

''See Château de Saint-Côme-d'Olt'' () *

Saint-Izaire Saint-Izaire (; Languedocien: ''Sent Esèri'') is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. The Château de Saint-Izaire is a 14th-century episcopal castle. Geography The commune is traversed by the Dourdou de Camarès R ...

The Château de Saint-Izaire is a 14th-century episcopal castle. () * Saint-Rome-de-Cernon The Château de Mélac is located in the hamlet of Mélac in the commune Saint-Rome-de-Cernon. In the Middle Ages, the castle was linked to the Gozon family. The castle's construction dates back to the 14th century, with modifications up to the 16th century. The castle is privately owned and open to the public. It has been listed as a ''monument historique'' since 1992. () * Salles-la-Source The Château du Colombier dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. The buildings are arranged around a small interior paved courtyard. The castle is representative of the seigneurial and domestic architecture of the

between the 14th and 19th centuries. The simple square 14th century

is used as a pigeon loft. The north wing was altered in the 19th century. The Château du Colombier is privately owned and has been protected as a ''monument historique'' since 1995. () * Salvagnac-Cajarc The castle, built in the 13th and 15th centuries, is an example of mediaeval fortification. It has been a protected ''monument historique'' since 1991. Especially noteworthy are the roofs, the round tower and its staircase and the inner courtyard and its walls. On the second floor, a vaulted room contains 17th-century painting. () * Savignac The Château de la Pèze was acquired by the Pomairols family in the 16th century. The poet Charles de Pomairols lived there (1835–1916). The buildings were modified in the 18th and 19th centuries. () * Sénergues There are two castles in the ''commune''. The Château de Montarnal was a fortified site in the 11th century, evidenced by the circular south tower. New fortifications were undertaken around the middle of the 14th century (seigneurial hall). In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, the castle was used as an ''

entrepôt An ''entrepôt'' (; ) or transshipment port is a port, city, or trading post where merchandise may be imported, stored, or traded, usually to be exported again. Such cities often sprang up and such ports and trading posts often developed into co ...

'' for the transport of wood, wine and salt - a cave was used as a warehouse. The site was a stop on the

pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on Pilgrimage, a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the a ...

route to

Saint-Jacques de Compostelle Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St. ...

. The architectural and military layout is unique in the Rouergue. The castle today still has the keep, ''enceinte'', courtyard and the cave. (). The Château de Sénergues dates from the 11th and 12th centuries. () *

Sévérac-le-Château Sévérac-le-Château (; oc, label=Languedocien, Severac del Castèl) is a former commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Sévérac-d'Aveyron. The Château de Sévérac ...

The

Château de Sévérac The Château de Sévérac is a 13th- and 18th-century castle in the ''commune'' of Sévérac-le-Château in the Aveyron ''département'' of France. The castle site has belonged to several families: the Sévéracs, Armagnacs, and Arpajons. The l ...

is a 13th-century castle open to the public. () * Toulonjac The origins of the Château de Toulonjac go back to the 15th century. It was heavily modified in the 17th and 19th centuries. The kitchen contains a 15th-century chimney. The eastern part was added in the 19th century. Wallpaper dated from the 1840s is decorated with the theme of

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...

. The Château de Toulonjac is privately owned and has been protected as a ''monument historique'' since 1993. () *

Versols-et-Lapeyre Versols-et-Lapeyre (; oc, Verzòls e La Pèira) is a Communes of France, commune in the Aveyron Departments of France, department in southern France. Geography The hamlets of Versols and Lapeyre lie on the right bank of the Sorgues River, Sor ...

The Château de Versols was built in the 14th century, with additions and alterations in the 16th and 17th. It is particularly noted for its façades and roofs and remains of murals. Privately owned, the castle has been a protected ''monument historique'' since 1988. () * Vézins-de-Lévézou The Château de Vezins built 1120 and much altered. () *

Villeneuve Villeneuve, LaVilleneuve or deVilleneuve may refer to: People * Villeneuve (surname) Places Australia * Villeneuve, Queensland, a town in the Somerset Region Canada * Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a Formula One racetrack in Montréal * Villeneuv ...

The 14th century Château de Ginals was modified in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is noted for its keep and spiral staircase. Internally, the ground floor dining room contains a large stone chimney. On the first floor, the grand salon and two interconnecting smaller salons are decorated with plasterwork. Saint Emilie de Rodat spent her childhood here and is supposed to have had a revelation here of her religious vocation. The Château de Ginals is privately owned and has been protected as a ''monument historique'' since 1980. ()

References

External links

*The

French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visual, ...

website has database entries, in French, many with photos, on the following castles in Aveyron: :: {{Mérimée, PA00094238, Vezins .

See also

References

External links