Château de La Celle-Guenand, La Celle-Guenand, France

Château de La Celle-Guenand was originally founded as a monastery in the 10th century. Later in the 15th century it was reconstructed as a castle. The first known lord of this medieval château was Antoine de Guenand. From the 16th century until 1780 the estate was held by the Coutance family.

Religious conflict in 1779 had led to the removal of the pastor of La Celle-Guenand and the two parishes were merged, to be known as La Celle-Guenand. Jean Cantineau de Commacres lorded over the castle of La Celle-Guenand until 1785 the last years of the French monarchy. Followed by Pierre Gaullier to midway through the French Revolution until 1794.

The château was restored in the 17th century as a private Residence and additional outbuildins were built in the 19th century. Today it functions as a Bed & Breakfast hotel.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Nick Brown (4 years ago)
Welcoming, comfortable, very dog friendly, food truly superb at a reasonable price, good area to visit

Tyler Greene (4 years ago)
We stayed at this place recently with my brother and sister-in-law. It's an incredible 15th century castle. Really comfortable stay and the owner was super friendly. And the food is great too.

Jules Jefferis (5 years ago)
It surely does not get any better than this. A truly exceptional experience staying in a beautiful old Chateau. Our room was large, very comfortable and seemingly quite recently renovated. The service is top notch. If you stay here (which you should) you must reserve dinner - chefs from a local cooking school come and make traditional french mealsn over five courses with matching wines. Magnifique!

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Lorca Castle

Castle of Lorca (Castillo de Lorca) is a fortress of medieval origin constructed between the 9th and 15th centuries. It consists of a series of defensive structures that, during the Middle Ages, made the town and the fortress an impregnable point in the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula. Lorca Castle was a key strategic point of contention between Christians and Muslims during the Reconquista.

Archaeological excavations have revealed that the site of the castle has been inhabited since Neolithic times.

Muslim Era

It has not been determined exactly when a castle or fortress was first built on the hill. The first written documentation referring to a castle at Lorca is of Muslim origin, which in the 9th century, indicates that the city of Lurqa was an important town in the area ruled by Theudimer (Tudmir). During Muslim rule, Lorca Castle was an impregnable fortress and its interior was divided into two sections by the Espaldón Wall. In the western part, there was an area used to protect livestock and grain in times of danger. The eastern part had a neighbourhood called the barrio de Alcalá.

After Reconquista

Lorca was conquered by the Castilian Infante Don Alfonso, the future Alfonso X, in 1244, and the fortress became a key defensive point against the Kingdom of Granada. For 250 years, Lorca Castle was a watchpoint on the border between the Christian kingdom of Murcia and the Muslim state of Granada.

Alfonso X ordered the construction of the towers known as the Alfonsina and Espolón Towers, and strengthened and fixed the walls. Hardly a trace of the Muslim fortress remained due to this reconstruction. Muslim traces remain in the foundation stones and the wall known as the muro del Espaldón.

The Jewish Quarter was found within the alcazaba, the Moorish fortification, separated from the rest of the city by its walls. The physical separation had the purpose of protecting the Jewish people in the town from harm, but also had the result of keeping Christians and Jews separate, with the Christians inhabiting the lower part of town.

The remains of the Jewish Quarter extended over an area of 5,700 square m, and 12 homes and a synagogue have been found; the synagogue dates from the 14th century and is the only one found in the Murcia. The streets of the town had an irregular layout, adapted to the landscape, and is divided into four terraces. The synagogue was in the central location, and around it were the homes. The homes were of rectangular shape, with various compartmentalized rooms. The living quarters were elevated and a common feature was benches attached to the walls, kitchens, stand for earthenware jars, or cupboards.

Modern history

With the disappearance of the frontier after the conquest of Granada in 1492, Lorca Castle no longer became as important as before. With the expulsion of the Jews by order of Ferdinand and Isabella, Lorca Castle was also depopulated as a result. The castle was abandoned completely, and was almost a complete ruin by the 18th century. In the 19th century, the castle was refurbished due to the War of Spanish Independence. The walls and structures were repaired or modified and its medieval look changed. A battery of cannons was installed, for example, during this time. In 1931 Lorca Castle was declared a National Historic Monument.

Currently, a parador (luxury hotel) has been built within the castle. As a result, archaeological discoveries have been found, including the Jewish Quarter.

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