Château de Mélac, Saint-Rome-de-Cernon, France

Château de Mélac is a rare fortified wealthy house of the southern Rouergue was built between the 14th and the 16th centuries. The castle has four main buildings which are interconnected by towers (Renaissance tower) and form an amazing inner courtyard with arcades.

The castle forms a very contrasted ensemble because of its different architectural styles: exceptional interior courtyard with arcades supporting the galleries on two levels, 15th century watchtower with its original bombards, Renaissance round tower and its cupola storeys, vaulted guards room with rib tufa stone dating from the 14th century, large rougier sandstone fireplace, epic narrative about Dieudonné de Gozon, Grand Master of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.

During the summer season, enjoy Les Musicales de Mélac festival which is held in the castle inner courtyard.

References:

Tourisme Aveyron

User Reviews

Fabien Lombard (4 months ago)
Very beautiful castle visited on the occasion of the heritage days where we were admirably received by passionate and deserving owners. The restoration of the building is impressive and allows you to observe a dozen rooms ranging from the stable to the souillarde through part of the old manor house. Very beautiful place.

Cécile Marquant (5 months ago)
Superb. Beautiful restoration made with taste and passion. Explanations from the passionate and exciting owner. I recommend!!!!

Valérie Herail (5 months ago)
Superb tour with a guide, owner of the place, charming and very interesting. Beautiful late afternoon in this place of past dreams.

alexis chantelot (5 months ago)
Very beautiful medieval architecture, with remarkable restoration. The castle of Melac is to visit if you are in the area!

Dan Haug (11 months ago)
A nice castle to visit. We were there in the off-season and only got to see the exterior.

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The Palazzo Colonna is a palatial block of buildings built in part over ruins of an old Roman Serapeum, and has belonged to the prestigious Colonna family for over twenty generations.

The first part of the palace dates from the 13th century, and tradition holds that the building hosted Dante in his visit to Rome. The first documentary mention notes that the property hosted Cardinal Giovanni and Giacomo Colonna in the 13th century. It was also home to Cardinal Oddone Colonna before he ascended to the papacy as Martin V (1417–1431).

With his passing, the palace was sacked during feuds, and the main property passed into the hands of the Della Rovere family. It returned to the Colonna family when Marcantonio I Colonna married Lucrezia Gara Franciotti Della Rovere, the niece of pope Julius II. The Colonna"s alliance to the Habsburg power, likely protected the palace from looting during the Sack of Rome (1527).

Starting with Filippo Colonna (1578–1639) many changes have refurbished and create a unitary complex around a central garden. Architects including Girolamo Rainaldi and Paolo Marucelli labored on specific projects. Only in the 17th and 18th centuries were the main facades completed. Much of this design was completed by Antonio del Grande (including the grand gallery), and Girolamo Fontana (decoration of gallery). In the 18th century, the long low facade designed by Nicola Michetti with later additions by Paolo Posi with taller corner blocks (facing Piazza Apostoli) was constructed recalls earlier structures resembling a fortification.

The main gallery (completed 1703) and the masterful Colonna art collection was acquired after 1650 by both the cardinal Girolamo I Colonna and his nephew the Connestabile Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna and includes works by Lorenzo Monaco, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Palma the Elder, Salviati, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Pietro da Cortona, Annibale Carracci (painting of The Beaneater), Guercino, Francesco Albani, Muziano and Guido Reni. Ceiling frescoes by Filippo Gherardi, Giovanni Coli, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari celebrate the role of Marcantonio II Colonna in the battle of Lepanto (1571). The gallery is open to the public on Saturday mornings.

The older wing of the complex known as the Princess Isabelle"s apartments, but once housing Martin V"s library and palace, contains frescoes by Pinturicchio, Antonio Tempesta, Crescenzio Onofri, Giacinto Gimignani, and Carlo Cesi. It contains a collection of landscapes and genre scenes by painters like Gaspard Dughet, Caspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), and Jan Brueghel the Elder.

Along with the possessions of the Doria-Pamphilij and Pallavacini-Rospigliosi families, this is one of the largest private art collections in Rome.

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