Château de Castanet, Heritage castle in Pourcharesses, France.
Château de Castanet is a fortified castle in the French Cévennes with a rectangular floor plan and four towers, three circular and one elongated that houses the main staircase. The structure shows typical design features of a rural nobleman's residence from the late 1500s with practical defensive elements.
Built in 1578 by Jacques Isarn, a nobleman from Villefort, the castle sat on an important trade route between Nîmes and Clermont known as the Regordane path. This strategic location made it a key point in the region's commercial and political history.
Marie-Suzanne de Varicourt, who married into the castle's family in 1684, held a position educating the future King Louis XV as deputy governor. Her presence links this place to French royal life and the schooling practices of that era.
Access is limited to summer months, so planning ahead is important for your visit. Wear comfortable shoes as the grounds are hilly and paths wind around the property.
The name Castanet comes from an Occitan word meaning chestnut tree, reflecting the landscape of the Cévennes where these trees grow abundantly. Today these trees remain central to the region's appearance and local ways of life.
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