Its name comes from the Occitan word for chestnut, the dominant tree in the Cévennes and Mont Lozère region.
The château is located on the land of Castanet, which is crossed by the Régordane path and the via soteirana, and offers a unique example of Cévenole architecture from the second half of the 16th century.
A little history...
The manse of Castanet dates back to the 13th century, but may be older. At that time, it belonged to the seigneur d'Hérail, co-seigneur parier de la Garde-Guérin and vassal of the bishop of Mende.
Until 1550, the manse was inherited, in addition to the prestigious right to be parier de la Garde-Guérin. Robert Brun became the owner of the mane in 1550. On December 14, 1571, he sold it to Jacques Isarn, from a middle-class Villefort family.
In 1684, Marie-Suzanne de Varicourt married Jacques-Joseph Isarn, owner of the château. A protégé of Madame de Maintenon, she became deputy governess to the children of France. She was entrusted with the education of the future Louis XV. Her daughter-in-law was responsible for the education of the future Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X.
The château...
Built at the end of the 16th century, the château was used for two centuries by the Isarn family, then sold during the Revolution as national property before being saved from the waters in the 1960s when the EDF dam was built, thanks to its inclusion in the inventory of historic monuments.
Today, the building is a unique example of Cévenole architecture from the second half of the 16th century.
Rectangular in plan, the château is flanked by four towers, three of which are round, and a long one containing the staircase.
Each tower was equipped with gunboats, most of which were flanked. From the south-east tower, a curtain wall connected to an advanced structure, probably a postern opening halfway up the base escarpment and providing access to the river.
Other outbuildings would have surrounded the courtyard.
The château reopened in 2006 after a complete restoration following a fire. Today, it houses a permanent exhibition on the history of the region, as well as temporary exhibitions by artists and craftsmen.
The Pays d'art et d'histoire Mende et Lot en Gévaudan offers guided tours, according to schedule or by reservation.
Château de Castanet
48800 Pourcharesses
Tel.: 04 66 46 87 30
https://www.destination-montlozere.fr/patrimoine/chateau-de-castanet/
