The Château de Luynes is a
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 ...
located in
Luynes,
Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River. In 2019, it had a population of 610,079.[13th century
The 13th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1201 ( MCCI) through December 31, 1300 ( MCCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar.
The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan, which stretched from Eastern Asia to Eastern Eur ...]
, on a rocky promontory, overlooking the
Loire Valley.
History
Built as a
medieval
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 ...
fortress
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
in the 13th century, The castle is today a grand
manor house
A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals with ...
on a rocky promontory overlooking the
val de Loire, and has been subject to registration as an historical monument since July 17, 1926.
The entry in the
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 ...
register, describes the castle as ''a quadrangular surface at the edge of a spur. The most important part of the defences is located on the West... four cylindrical towers which ... date from the 13th century and 15th century.''
The castle was substantially rebuilt in the 15th century, the current windows replaced primitive arrow slits and the wall between the towers was perforated by mullioned windows, evidence then of building next to this part of the enclosure. The South curtain wall is today replaced by a terrace and an outer defensive wall with two small round towers can still be discerned. In the 17th Century a pavilion, was constructed at the back of the Southeast Tower.
Gallery
Image:Luynes Castle.jpg, West view.
Image:Château de Luynes (Indre et Loire).JPG, Castle & chapelle, east view.
Image:Luynes Chateau.jpg, West view.
Image:Castle of Luynes 2 (37).jpg, West view.
Image:Castle of Luynes (37).jpg, South view.
Image:Luynes Castle over town.jpg, Moat and castle, east view.
Image:Luynes Castle Courtyard.jpg, Castle's courtyard.
File:LuynesFromAbove.jpg, Luynes seen from the castle, to the South.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luynes
Castles in Centre-Val de Loire