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The Château de Barbezieux is a
Ville de Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire website Sold during the French Revolution, the south east corner was strengthened by the ''département'' and used as a prison until 1820. In 1844, the castle was bought by the town which flattened part and restored the rest for a variety of uses. In 1860, part of the building was converted under the direction of architect Pierre Lacombe for use as a hospital, until 1908, and a girls' school. From 1900, the former stables have been used as a theatre. About 1922, a new building was constructed at the west by architect Maurice Mignon and houses a library.
The Château de Barbezieux is a castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
situated in the '' commune'' of Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire
Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire () is a commune in the Charente department, Southwestern France. The commune was formed in 1973 by the merger of the former communes Barbezieux and Saint-Hilaire.Charente
Charente (; Saintongese: ''Chérente''; ) is a department in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It is named after the river Charente, the most important and longest river in the department, and also the r ...
''département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
'' of France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. It dates from 1453, though an earlier castle, of which no trace remains, stood on the site from the early 11th century. The castle has been listed since 1913 as a ''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 collection of buildings, ...
'' by the French Ministry of Culture
The Ministry of Culture () is the ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of France in charge of List of museums in France, national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and pro ...
.
History
The present castle was built on the orders of Marguerite de La Rochefoucauld in 1453 to provide work during a time of famine. The castle has been the property of many of the great names and families of French history, notably Barbezieux, La Rochefoucauld, d’Espinay de Duretal, Schomberg-Vignier, Richelieu, Le Tellier and Louvois.Histoire et patrimoineVille de Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire website Sold during the French Revolution, the south east corner was strengthened by the ''département'' and used as a prison until 1820. In 1844, the castle was bought by the town which flattened part and restored the rest for a variety of uses. In 1860, part of the building was converted under the direction of architect Pierre Lacombe for use as a hospital, until 1908, and a girls' school. From 1900, the former stables have been used as a theatre. About 1922, a new building was constructed at the west by architect Maurice Mignon and houses a library.
Architecture
Even today, the castle appears as an imposing fortress. The two high round towers are covered by a single roof which also covers the central passage. Openings for cannons are visible. Of the inner curtain, a fragment of the north wall survives along with the covered round walk, terminating to the east with a semi-cylindrical tower. In the south east, the gateway is framed by round towers. Above the gate is the Saint-Ymas church with its single nave of four bays. To the south, demolished in the 18th century, stood thekeep
A keep 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 castles that were fortified residen ...
composed of two towers. In the north west, between two towers, a double-gabled building has been nicknamed ''pavillon de la recette''. A tennis court and a well are close by. A second well supplied the keep. Ditches surrounded each of the curtain walls.
See also
*List of castles in France
This is a list of castles in France, arranged by Regions of France, region and Departments of France, department.
;Notes:
# The French word ''château'' has a wider meaning than the English ''castle'': it includes architectural entities that are p ...
References
External links
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barbezieux, Chateau de Buildings and structures completed in 1453 Castles in Nouvelle-Aquitaine Monuments historiques of Charente Châteaux in Charente