Château de Crèvecoeur is a small castle survived to this day practically intact. The inner bailey is protected by the moat, the motte and its curtain wall dating back to the 12th century, slashed with arrow slits. The only way across to the inner bailey, and thus the lord’s dwelling-place, is a single footbridge.
The importance of farming is immediately obvious. There is a farm, a dovecote and a barn in the outer bailey, forming a very fine example of regional constructions built using timber panelling. Originally protected by a talus topped with a wooden palisade, it was the place where villagers could take refuge in the event of an attack.
The gatehouse, built in the 16th century, is flanked by two round turrets topped with a pointed roof. Boasting a portal, the ground floor was constructed with alternating brick and stone. The upper floor was constructed in timber panelling with the wall framing made of bars and fern leaves.
The original castle chapel is made in Romanesque style: thick buttressed walls, a few, narrow openings, a full-centre arch and inside, the arched framework and vestiges of wall paintings. The chapel has not been in use since the 1930s.
There is also a botanical garden, 15th century dovecote and 16th century barn on the castle site.
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.