Château De Villars
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The Château de Villard is a 14th-century
castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
in the '' commune'' of
Saint-Parize-le-Châtel Saint-Parize-le-Châtel () is a commune in the Nièvre ''département'' in central France. The ''Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours'', a famous motor racing circuit that hosts the Formula One French Grand Prix, is located in the communes of Magny-C ...
in the
Nièvre Nièvre () is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, central-east France. Named after the river Nièvre, it had a population of 204,452 in 2019.département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
'' of France. During the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...
, the fortress was of great importance and was fought over by the French, English, Armagnacs and Bourbons. It is said that
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ;  – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...
stayed here before going to liberate
Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier () is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France. It was besieged during the Hundred Years' War. Located between the Loire and Allier, the town has a rich and powerful history, but is a little forgotten to ...
. The castle has a round towers in each of the four corners, with a square tower in the middle of each side. During the 19th century, the interior of the castle was converted for agricultural use and this continued until the 1970s. Since 2006, Hubert de Vassal and his wife, Ana, have been renovating the buildings which they inherited. Parts of it have been listed since 1951 as a ''
monument historique () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...
'' by the
French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture () is the ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of France in charge of List of museums in France, national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and pro ...
. In 2012, the architectural heritage association, Vieilles Maisons Françaises, awarded its first prize to Château de Villars for the ongoing renovation work.VMF
"Palmares 2012 - Pris de Sauvegarde VMF"
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See also

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List of castles in France This is a list of castles in France, arranged by Regions of France, region and Departments of France, department. ;Notes: # The French word ''château'' has a wider meaning than the English ''castle'': it includes architectural entities that are p ...


References


External links

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Video of Office de Tourisme guide on works to restore castle
by FR3 Castles in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Monuments historiques of Nièvre {{France-castle-stub