Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

Castles and Military Heritage Religious heritage Industrial heritage Heritage of cities Archaeological heritage Museums Attractions and tourist attractions The most beautiful villages The most beautiful monuments in France

Cartes castrales de France

In the year one thousand, to guard against invasions Vikings, rose from "castral mots". The land was taken to foot, which was a ditch. The mots had a diameter at the base of 30 metres, a diameter at the top of 10 metres and a height between 4 and 15 metres. Easy to build, they were built by corvetable farmers.
At the top of the mound was a strong palissade, as well as a wood watchtower prefiguring the donjon. There was an assistant with a duckyard surrounded by a palisade. Traditionally, mott authority is exercised only within the limits of seigneurie, i.e. a kilometre approximately at round. These fortifications were amply sufficient to meet the military challenges of the six and ten centuries.
The feudal muff is therefore a primitive castle, a major element of the structure of the feudality in the medieval west
. Subsequently, wood was gradually replaced by the "b" stone , particularly to avoid fires.
We felt it was essential to introduce them by region and department.
Cartes castrales de France

Sélection de 8 castral mots sur 97 en France

Fretin's feudal muff
Motte féodale
59273 Fretin

The feudal motte of Fretin is a medieval vestige located in Fretin, Hauts-de-France. This historic monument, dated from the Middle Ages, illustrates the defensive architecture of the period.
Olivet Castle
Motte féodale
14220 Grimbosq

Olivet Castle, an 11th century feudal motte, is an ancient castle of land and wood located in the forest of Grimbosq, Normandy, controlling the crossing of the Orne.
Castral motte de Saint-Sever-Calvados
Motte féodale
14380 Saint-Sever-Calvados

The castral motte of Saint-Sever-Calvados is an ancient medieval castle of land and wood located in the forest of Saint-Sever, in Calvados, Normandy. Ranked a historic monument, this feudal site dates back to the years 1000-1050.
Castral ensemble of Vèvre
Ensemble castral
18250 Neuvy-Deux-Clochers

The castral ensemble of Vèvre, in Neuvy-Deux-Clochers (Centre-Val de Loire), is a medieval fortified site evolving from the 9th to the 17th century, combining motte, seigneurial tower and agricultural courtyard, witness to the feudal history of Berry.
Castral motte de la Roche-Bertin
Motte féodale
17220 Sainte-Soulle

The castral motte of the Roche-Bertin, a medieval vestige located in Sainte-Soulle in Charente-Maritime, is a historic site inscribed with historical monuments since 1989, witness to the defensive architecture of the Middle Ages.
Castral motte de Bailleul
Motte féodale
61160 Bailleul

The castral motte of Bailleul is a medieval fortification of the eleventh century, located in Bailleul, Orne, Normandy. This oval terrace surrounded by ditches bears witness to the first defensive structures of land and wood in the region.
Feudal motte de Châteauneuf
Motte féodale
85710 Châteauneuf

The feudal motte of Châteauneuf, a medieval vestige located in Châteauneuf in Vendée, includes a motte, a bassyard and traces of an ancient medieval castle.
Castral motte from Venables
Motte féodale
27940 aux Trois Lacs

The castral motte of Venables is a medieval fortification located on the Three Lakes, in the Eure in Normandy, overlooking the Seine valley.