Château de Mélac, Medieval castle in Saint-Rome-de-Cernon, France.
Château de Mélac is a stone castle in Saint-Rome-de-Cernon with four interconnected buildings and towers arranged around a central courtyard featuring multiple tiers of stone arcades and galleries. The layout demonstrates how defensive architecture evolved during the medieval and Renaissance periods.
The Gozon family built this fortress over the 14th to 16th centuries, gradually adapting its design across generations. This lengthy construction period left visible traces of both medieval defense methods and emerging Renaissance style.
The castle displays original 15th-century stone bombards in its watchtower, offering a direct view of late medieval military technology in use. These cannons sit exactly where they were installed centuries ago, giving visitors a tangible connection to the fortress's defensive role.
The castle is accessible during the warm months, and visitors can explore either independently or as part of a guided group. It helps to plan ahead and allow enough time to walk through all the building levels and courtyards.
The guard room features carved rib tufa stone vaulting from the 14th century, a building technique that was quite specialized for its time. This mastery is complemented by a large pink sandstone fireplace that has survived in good condition.
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