The castle

In late 1200s, near the village of Banchette, a fortress rose, typical safe building of that time, square-shaped, with a safety first-floor entrance and a few narrow windows on the thick walls. Some decades after, the fortress embellished to better suit changed needs of civil life, giving rise to the baronial castle or minor feudatory castle (…). A tower was added on one side of the fortress, in order to give building the character of castle and assure the best defense in case of need. In XV and XVI centuries, it was enriched with walls and small buildings leant to, even respecting the baronial castle design. (…) Human neglect brought the castle to ruin, so that in 1800 most of the outside walls stood up in ruins. It was then tastefully rebuilt (…). From close up, it unveils its gracefulness and catches your eye amongst the trees all around, thanks to the colour of the bricks – exposed – on which the patina of time fell down. (…) A door, elevated in respect to the field and achievable through a short flight of stairs, communicates with the interior, on main pointed arch pediment supported by capital columns and brick basement. (…) The building is ornamentally animated by many crossed rectangular windows and a big lunette on the first floor by the entrance. Swallowtail merlons roof shows a peculiar graduated design uncommon for castles, the squared tower on one side, characteristic of the building, is strongly slopped at the base, mixed-structured in stone and bricks with exposed bricks reinforced edges and horizontal bricks, fake merlons supports roofing truss. Overhanging emblazonments on the tower, under crenellation, windows cornice, emphasize the medieval tone.

Photogallery