The Château de Guilleragues is a medieval, previously ruined but restored castle in the commune of Saint-Sulpice-de-Guilleragues.
This early 14th-century castle, built at the side of a small valley, consists of a long rectangular building, composed of a fortified house flanked by two towers and two watchtowers at either extremity of an annexe of the same height, from 1564. The lower court and the common buildings in the north east also date from the 16th century.
Château de Guilleragues was built in many stages and went through many changes in its history. The oldest parts and foundations date back to the 12th century. Little is known about the earliest dates and status of the structure. More obvious are parts built in the 14th and 16th century.
The building must have been two or three separate structures initially, which were joined at some later point. The best known occupants of the castle are the De Lavergne family, who owned the castle in the 16th and 17th centuries. In fact, a major change took place in the 1560s, where windows were enlarged and added, doors where enlarged and many decorative features were added, changing the castle from a fortified structure with defense as its main function to a livable, more luxurious stately home.
The residence belonged in the 17th century to Gabriel-Joseph de Lavergne, Vicomte de Guilleragues, a brilliant diplomat and author of the Les Lettres portugaises. Privately owned, it has been listed since 1954 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.
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The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. The name means 'castle of the counts' in Dutch. Arnulf I (918–965), Count of Flanders, was the first to fortify this place, building a medieval bastion on this high sand dune, naturally protected by the river Leie and its marshy banks. This bastion consisted of a central wooden building and several surrounding buildings, also in wood.
In the early 11th century, the wooden building was replaced by a stone residence, consisting of three large halls that made up three storeys, connected by a stone stairwell. The monumental stone staircase, the light openings, the fireplaces built into the walls and the latrines were signs of considerable luxury and comfort in those days. There was probably also a tower.