The Château de Cons-la-Grandville represents in a single building an architectural synthesis from the Romanesque to the Classical periods.
The first castle on the site was built at the end of the 11th century for Dudon de Cons. It was rebuilt before 1248 for Jacques de Cons: a round tower and part of the curtain wall remain from this period.
The present castle is built on the remains of the medieval castle, on a rocky promontory surrounded by the village and wooded hills. It was rebuilt for Martin de Custine using Pierre de Jaumont, a yellow limestone during the Renaissance, starting in 1572 (the north face has windows dated 1572, 1573, 1574, 1575).
The castle was partly reconstructed in the Classical style after the Thirty Years War. The north face was restored again in 1688 (the dates on the 9th and 10th windows provide evidence for this). Further rebuilding and modification took place in 1717, the 1730s and the at end of the 19th century.
The complex is completed with an 18th-century barn with rich woodwork in oak as well as a garden.
At the side of the castle is a Benedictine priory, reconstructed in the Classical period but built on a Romanesque style crypt from the 11th century, whose vaults are decorated with gothic frescoes dating from the 14th century.
Open to the public, the castle and its grounds have been restored since 1984.
References: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.