The Château de Conros is a medieval castle, later heavily modified, situated in
Arpajon-sur-Cère
Arpajon-sur-Cère (, literally ''Arpajon on Cère''; oc, Arpajon de Cera or just ) is a commune in the Cantal department in the Auvergne region of south-central France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Arpajonnais'' or ''Arpajonnai ...
in the
Cantal
Cantal (; oc, Cantal or ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Aurillac. Its other principal towns are Saint-Flour, Cantal, Saint ...
''
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...
'' of France.
Robert d'Humières
Aymeric Eugène Robert d’Humières (2 March 1868 – 26 April 1915) was a French man of letters, poet, chronicler, translator and theatre director.
Biography
Robert d'Humières was born on 2 March 1868 at the Château de Conros, Arpajon-sur- ...
, grandfather of the present owners, was born here. He was a noted literary figure who translated the works of
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work.
...
into French.
Description
Built by Astorg d'Aurillac in around 1130, the site occupies a rocky outcrop overlooking the
Cère
The Cère is a long river in south-western France, left tributary of the Dordogne. Its source is in the south-western Massif Central, near the mountain Plomb du Cantal. It flows generally west through the following ''départements'' and town ...
river. Later converted into a comfortable Renaissance dwelling, the château remains a family home. The gardens were redesigned in the 19th century.
The castle was recorded in 1230 as a ''super novo edificio'', later as a ''repario'', and in 1269 as a ''castrum''.
The present building has several distinct parts: the north tower (the oldest), the south tower, a rectangular two-floored residence, a pavilion wing with lantern covering forming a dovecote. The whole is surmounted by another floor supported on corbels.
[
The château incorporates sections from various periods. There are elements from the 13th century in the cellars and ground floor and from the 15th century on the first floor. The bulk dates from the 16th century, with heavy remodelling in the 17th century to the upper floors, notably the Imperial dome.][
* On the first floor is a 15th-century chimney from the ]Château de Branzac
The Château de Branzac is a ruined 15th century castle in the ''commune'' of Pleaux in the Cantal ''département'' of France. Being a massive keep with corner towers, the castle is a picturesque ruin on the end of a promontory.Michelin Green Guide ...
which is entirely painted. This chimney owes its decoration to artists brought from Italy by Camille Carracioli, a Neapolitan princess, wife of the lord of Branzac (1570).[
* The staircase has landings opening onto the steps through two round arches jointly supported on columns with Doric or Ionic capitals. Each landing is covered by a rib vault.][
The stone-covered roof has a surface area of 1200 m2. There are 70 windows, some of which retain their 18th-century woodwork.
The Château de Conros is open to visitors.]monuments historiques
''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 ...
'' by 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, ...
on 30 September 1991.[
]
See also
*List of castles in France
This is a list of castles in France, arranged by Region and Department.
;Notes:
# The French word ''château'' has a wider meaning than the English ''castle'': it includes architectural entities that are properly called palaces, mansions or vine ...
References
Bibliography
* Jean-Baptiste de Ribier du Châtelet, ''Dictionnaire statistique, ou Histoire, description et statistique du département du Cantal'', Aurillac, 1852
* Roger Grand, "Les chartes de franchises de la Roquebrou (1281–1282) et de Conros 1317", (32pp) in ''Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques. Bulletin historique et philologique'', année 1902, n° 1 and 2.
External links
*
* Official web site i
English
an
French
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conros, Chateau de
Castles in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Châteaux in Cantal
Monuments historiques of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Historic house museums in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
History museums in France
Museums in Cantal