Château d' Homps
Encyclopedia
The Château d' Homps is a ruined castle
in the commune
of Homps
in the Gers
département of France.
The 13th century fortification on a rocky outcrop was abandoned for a more comfortable house built in the 16th century. It was sold as a national asset at the time of the French Revolution
and used as a quarry. Only a tower converted into a pigeon loft has been saved intact. The courtyard and parts of the enceinte
are still visible.
The privately owned castle has been listed since 1999 as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture.
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
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Homps
Homps, Gers
Homps is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.-Population:...
in the Gers
Gers
The Gers is a department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the southwest of France named after the Gers River.Inhabitants are called les Gersois or Gersoises.-History:...
département of France.
The 13th century fortification on a rocky outcrop was abandoned for a more comfortable house built in the 16th century. It was sold as a national asset at the time of 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...
and used as a quarry. Only a tower converted into a pigeon loft has been saved intact. The courtyard and parts of the enceinte
Enceinte
Enceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle....
are still visible.
The privately owned castle has been listed since 1999 as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture.