Château de Belcastel, Belcastel, France

The Château de Belcastel is situated above the north bank of the Aveyron River, downstream from Rodez. The oldest part of the castle was constructed in the 9th century, and it grew in the hands of the Belcastel family. Later, for many decades, it was the seat of the famed Saunhac family.

The famous French architect Fernand Pouillon (1912-1986) discovered the castle in ruins in 1974. Pouillon decided to reconstruct the fortress, which had been abandoned since at least the 17th century. Pouillon himself undertook the restoration by hand, along with the help of a dozen Algerian stonemasons, and 10 stained-glass experts. The work lasted only eight years and called for great courage from him and his colleagues, due to the size of the undertaking, the castle's dangerous location, and the fact that no machines were used in the daring reconstruction.

The Château de Belcastel remained the private residence of Pouillon until he died in Belcastel on 24 July 1986. In 2005, the two owners of the AFA Gallery in New York purchased the château and opened it to the public as both a gallery and a historical monument.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Marc Corderroure (7 months ago)
If you are going to visit the Aveyron region, this is a must-see. It is a wonderful place and if you are going with a motorhome, it has a very nice and reasonably priced municipal campsite.

Mischa (8 months ago)
Very pittoresk village and castle. The Castle is beautiful and also made into a B&B .. and there is a lot of art around. There is a reservable spot for campers along the river Aveyron. This is also a great place to have a picnic or have lunch at Chez Anna.

Lyubov R (2 years ago)
Time stood still in this charming village. you should definitely go and see the beauty with your own eyes. The chateau is simply marvelous, as is the story of its recreation. The chateau had an incredibly beautiful display of Middle Ages Bestiaries and Halloween decorations. A small guide is given out at the entrance, so there is no chance of missing anything if you follow it. The views of the river valley and the village are breathtaking!

Kirill Maksimkin (2 years ago)
Amazing experience! It was a part of our trip to Albi and we decided to visit the village and the castle. I’d not expected that we would meet a true example of a medieval miracle. The story of the castle - which you can find out beyond the restoration - is impressive and motivating. There is a hotel room with a swimming pool if you want to accommodate in a cozy place for a while. It’s difficult to reach this place but it’s worth it. One of the possible difficulties is that there is only one open restaurant in the village in winter. So, please make sure to book it in advance or grab some sandwiches to have a picnic next to a beautiful river at the foot of the castle.

Pablo Tesone (3 years ago)
Beautiful view of a beautiful village. The town and the church are really nice. Great walking paths.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Following Hadrian

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.

Château de Belcastel

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople