The Château de Villard is a 14th-century
castle
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 ''
commune'' of
Saint-Parize-le-Châtel
Saint-Parize-le-Châtel () is a commune in the Nièvre ''département'' in central France.
The ''Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours'', a famous motor racing circuit that hosts the Formula One French Grand Prix, is located in the communes of Magny-Cour ...
in the
Nièvre
Nièvre () is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, central-east France. Named after the river Nièvre, it had a population of 204,452 in 2019.[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.
During the
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...
, the fortress was of great importance and was fought over by the French, English, Armagnacs and Bourbons. It is said that
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...
stayed here before going to liberate
Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier. The castle has a round towers in each of the four corners, with a square tower in the middle of each side.
During the 19th century, the interior of the castle was converted for agricultural use and this continued until the 1970s. Since 2006, Hubert de Vassal and his wife, Ana, have been renovating the buildings which they inherited.
Parts of it have been listed since 1951 as a ''
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 ...
'' by the
French Ministry of Culture.
In 2012, the architectural heritage association,
Vieilles Maisons Françaises, awarded its first prize to Château de Villars for the ongoing renovation work.
[VMF]
"Palmares 2012 - Pris de Sauvegarde VMF"
page 4
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
External links
*
Video of Office de Tourisme guide on works to restore castleby FR3
Castles in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Nièvre
Monuments historiques of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
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