Today we visited a 14th Century castle that has been occupied by the same family for more than 700 years. The original castle was built in 778 by Charlemagne, but all that is left of it are a few wall ruins. The current castle was built in 1306 by the nephew of Pope Clement V. It is part of two fortresses built in the 12th and 14th Centuries inside a waterless moat. The castle was built to be a fortress. The moat has never held water and was never intended to; instead there are tunnels beneath it that served as an escape route for the family if the castle was ever attacked. The purpose of the moat was to buy them time. There were no windows in the original structure, and no doors in the entry way. Its entry was hidden; by the time attackers located it they would have been pummeled by arrows.
Between 1860 and 1870 the castle was restored and somewhat transformed by the same architect who did Notre Dame and one of his pupils. They added windows and doorways, converted old stables into a formal dining room for entertaining…all kinds of creative things. All those changes remain in place today.
There is also a private chapel on site where the family still has private ceremonies like baptisms. Absolutely nothing has been done to the chapel since it was originally built. The paint on the ceilings and alter look as if it was placed there yesterday. It is a compound of natural pigment, oils and egg whites. The chapel was built facing the east so that when the light shines through in the morning it illuminates the stained glass creating a beautiful affect.
We were guided through the castle and its grounds by a very crotchety well-informed gentleman. Pam commented to someone that he must be a member of the family; otherwise he would have been fired for rudeness long ago. Turns out he is a member of the family! He is a son of the current family. The parents have both passed away, but one sibling lives in the main house of the castle, another lives on a vineyard owned by the family and this guy lives in the quarters above what used to be the stables and are now guest bathrooms. Guess we might be a little grouchy with that arrangement, too.
We weren’t allowed to take photos inside the castle, but Pam was able to find some online that will give you a sense of its grandeur. We were told that the family still uses the kitchen every single day. It looked just like it does in the picture we’ve included here, so we’re not so sure we believe him.
Entry 
The ceiling in this room was being redone when we were there – a project that was supposed to have been completed several months ago and may take another year! 
This is what the finished product looks like. 
One of the main rooms. 
This is one of the receiving rooms. We were shocked to learn that the beautiful antique tapesty hanging on the wall to the left was cut to fit around the ballast. 
A main bedroom 
Guest quarters 
Formal dining room – used to be stables. The table can open up to fit the full length of the room. 
Family dining room 
An amazing kitchen 
Chapel 
The interior of the church has never been refurbished.
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