Château de Vezins
Encyclopedia
The Château de Vézins is a much-altered castle situated in the commune
of Vézins-de-Lévézou
between Millau
and Rodez
in the Aveyron
département of France. It has been in the possession of the Vézins family for 900 years.
The first fortress was built in 1120 by Vesian de Vézins to command the Lévezou district. Following a disastrous fire in 1642, the only remains of this original castle are the vaulted rooms of the ground floor. The castle was then redeveloped in the Renaissance
style.
Modern-day visitors to the horseshoe-shaped château can see the vaulted hall from the Middle Ages
and the first floor rooms. Of particular note are the sculpted coats of arms
on the chimney places, Aubusson
tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries and a canopied bed.
The château was awarded the prix du Patrimoine 2000 (heritage prize) for the Midi-Pyrénées
region. It is one of a group of 23 castles in Aveyron that have joined together to provide a tourist itinerary as the Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue
. Château de Vézins is listed as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture.
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 Vézins-de-Lévézou
Vézins-de-Lévézou
Vézins-de-Lévézou is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.The Château de Vezins is a historical castle. The first fortress was built in 1120 by Vesian de Vezins to command the Lévezou district. Following a disastrous fire in 1642, the only remains of this original castle are the...
between Millau
Millau
Millau is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. It is located at the confluence of the Tarn and Dourbie rivers.-History:...
and Rodez
Rodez
Rodez is a town and commune in southern France, in the Aveyron department, of which it is the capital. Its inhabitants are called Ruthénois.-History:Existing from at least the 5th century BC, Rodez was founded by the Celts...
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. It has been in the possession of the Vézins family for 900 years.
The first fortress was built in 1120 by Vesian de Vézins to command the Lévezou district. Following a disastrous fire in 1642, the only remains of this original castle are the vaulted rooms of the ground floor. The castle was then redeveloped in 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...
style.
Modern-day visitors to the horseshoe-shaped château can see the vaulted hall from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and the first floor rooms. Of particular note are the sculpted coats of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
on the chimney places, Aubusson
Aubusson, Creuse
Aubusson is a commune in the Creuse department in the Limousin region in central France.-Geography:...
tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries and a canopied bed.
The château was awarded the prix du Patrimoine 2000 (heritage prize) for the Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées is the largest region of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyrénées has no historical or geographical unity...
region. It is one of a group of 23 castles in Aveyron that have joined together to provide a tourist itinerary as the Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue
Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue
The Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue is a tourist itinerary established in the Aveyron département of France, grouping together 23 separate sites in the former province of Rouergue...
. Château de Vézins is listed 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.