Château de Fayet
Encyclopedia
The Château de Fayet is a castle
in the commune of Fayet
in the Aveyron
département of France
.
and Fayet
were the viscount
s of Albi in the 11th century, the viscounts of Béziers
and Carcassone in the 12th century, the counts of Toulouse
in the 13th century, and, finally, the lords of Castelnau-Bretenoux in the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the daughter of Guy de Castelnau, Jacquette de Clermont, married Jean V de Arpajon and her dowry was used for the restoration and enlargement of the castle. The stone balustrade, decorated with two harps (the coat of arms of the powerful family of Rouergue
), dates from this time.
Henri de Navarre, the future Henry IV
, resided for a period in the Château de Fayet and would have seen the row of living rooms that was, at the time, entirely made of papered hangings. Some of these were framed decorations painted using dyes made by Rougier de Camarès. These paintings formed the basis of many fresco
es, particularly the ceilings. Themes of these frescoes included symbols of the Compagnons du Devoir, other icons of esoteric significance, rich decorations with precious stones, and also representations of the arts.
The castle belonged to the scions of Jacquette and Jean V of Arpajon, among them Francois, count of Roussy, whose daughter married the duke and marshal of Biron
. In the French Revolution
, the latter, old and deaf, was condemned to the guillotine
for conspiring against the Republic. Before the execution, the duchess of Biron had time to sell the castle to André Jean Simon of Nougarède, titled baron of Brusque
and Fayet
by the emperor Napoleon I
.
The second baron of Fayet, having no descendants, sold the castle to a pair of men named Soulas and Roques. They completed some work on the castle to restore the authenticity of its appearance. Subsequently, the castle was purchased by Cabanel, priest of Notre Dame des Tables à Montpellier, who, using an anonymous gift of a million Franks, became the owner of the castle and its fields. The gift was to be used for the creation of an orphanage directed by monks of the congregation of Salesians
, followers of Saint Jean de Bosco
.
In 1999, Pierre and Sophie Dussert de Rougemont, former owners of the Château de Larroque
, came to settle in the Château de Fayet with their four children. They started the association Friends of the Château de Fayet to restore life to the site. The Château de Fayet is one of a group of 23 castles in Aveyron who have joined together to provide a tourist itinerary as La Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue.
with direct contacts with the Albigeois. The exit of the gorge was once part of the Château de Brusque, but it was partly demolished in the 13th century to become the common priory
and seigniory of Fayet.
A chapel originally marked the confluence of Nuéjouls and Dourdou; a defensive building, surrounded by ditches, replaced it in order to monitor the banks and formed a secondary line of defense.
The current castle building forms a punctuated regular parallelogram. The Renaissance
Italian architect who designed the castle added a line of trees to shelter the castle from inquisitive eyes. Once past the long alley bordered with lime and chestnut trees, one lands on the main courtyard of the castle. The eye-shaped courtyard contains a fountain with a double basin and a majestic well. The stone edge wall, in the shape of a pot, is supported by two pillars built in 1564 by Guy de Castelnau.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the commune of Fayet
Fayet, Aveyron
Fayet is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the Aveyron
Aveyron
Aveyron is a département in southern France named after the Aveyron River.- History :Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790....
département of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
History
The first lords of BrusqueBrusque, Aveyron
Brusque is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
and Fayet
Fayet, Aveyron
Fayet is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
were the viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
s of Albi in the 11th century, the viscounts of Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
and Carcassone in the 12th century, the counts of Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
in the 13th century, and, finally, the lords of Castelnau-Bretenoux in the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the daughter of Guy de Castelnau, Jacquette de Clermont, married Jean V de Arpajon and her dowry was used for the restoration and enlargement of the castle. The stone balustrade, decorated with two harps (the coat of arms of the powerful family of Rouergue
Rouergue
Rouergue is a former province of France, bounded on the north by Auvergne, on the south and southwest by Languedoc, on the east by Gévaudan and on the west by Quercy...
), dates from this time.
Henri de Navarre, the future Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
, resided for a period in the Château de Fayet and would have seen the row of living rooms that was, at the time, entirely made of papered hangings. Some of these were framed decorations painted using dyes made by Rougier de Camarès. These paintings formed the basis of many fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es, particularly the ceilings. Themes of these frescoes included symbols of the Compagnons du Devoir, other icons of esoteric significance, rich decorations with precious stones, and also representations of the arts.
The castle belonged to the scions of Jacquette and Jean V of Arpajon, among them Francois, count of Roussy, whose daughter married the duke and marshal of Biron
Biron, Dordogne
Biron is a commune in the Dordogne department in southwestern France.-Geography:Biron lies between the Dropt and Lède rivers between the towns of Monpazier, Villeréal and Villefranche-du-Périgord.-Population:-Sights:...
. In the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the latter, old and deaf, was condemned to the guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
for conspiring against the Republic. Before the execution, the duchess of Biron had time to sell the castle to André Jean Simon of Nougarède, titled baron of Brusque
Brusque, Aveyron
Brusque is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
and Fayet
Fayet, Aveyron
Fayet is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
by the emperor Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
.
The second baron of Fayet, having no descendants, sold the castle to a pair of men named Soulas and Roques. They completed some work on the castle to restore the authenticity of its appearance. Subsequently, the castle was purchased by Cabanel, priest of Notre Dame des Tables à Montpellier, who, using an anonymous gift of a million Franks, became the owner of the castle and its fields. The gift was to be used for the creation of an orphanage directed by monks of the congregation of Salesians
Salesians of Don Bosco
The Salesians of Don Bosco is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco in an attempt, through works of charity, to care for the young and poor children of the industrial revolution...
, followers of Saint Jean de Bosco
John Bosco
John Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer of the 19th century, who put into practice the convictions of his religion, dedicating his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth and employing teaching methods...
.
In 1999, Pierre and Sophie Dussert de Rougemont, former owners of the Château de Larroque
Château de Larroque
The Château de Larroque is the remains of a 12th century castle keep in the commune of Larroque in the Haute-Garonne département of France....
, came to settle in the Château de Fayet with their four children. They started the association Friends of the Château de Fayet to restore life to the site. The Château de Fayet is one of a group of 23 castles in Aveyron who have joined together to provide a tourist itinerary as La Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue.
Architecture
Built over a hillock, the Château de Fayet dominates the valley. Militarily positioned behind the Rance RiverRance River
The Rance is a river of northwestern France. It flows into the English Channel between Dinard and Saint-Malo.Before reaching the Channel, its waters are barred by a 750 metre long dam forming the Rance tidal power plant....
with direct contacts with the Albigeois. The exit of the gorge was once part of the Château de Brusque, but it was partly demolished in the 13th century to become the common priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
and seigniory of Fayet.
A chapel originally marked the confluence of Nuéjouls and Dourdou; a defensive building, surrounded by ditches, replaced it in order to monitor the banks and formed a secondary line of defense.
The current castle building forms a punctuated regular parallelogram. The Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
Italian architect who designed the castle added a line of trees to shelter the castle from inquisitive eyes. Once past the long alley bordered with lime and chestnut trees, one lands on the main courtyard of the castle. The eye-shaped courtyard contains a fountain with a double basin and a majestic well. The stone edge wall, in the shape of a pot, is supported by two pillars built in 1564 by Guy de Castelnau.