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Origin and history

The castle of Mercœur, also called the Twenty Angles Tower or House of the Children of Mercœur, is a fortress erected in several phases in the 12th and 13th centuries by the lords of Mercœur. The oldest part, the residence of the children of Mercœur, dates from the last quarter of the 12th century, while the emblematic donjon, rectangular and 26 meters high, was built at the beginning of the 13th century. This dungeon, reinforced by eight foothills and mâchicoulis worn by twin arches, originally had three floors, two of which were arched in a cradle. The materials used, such as basalt and arcose, reflect local resources.

In 1481, the roofs of the castle underwent major deterioration. At the beginning of the 18th century, in 1716, the castle was ceded with the seigneury of Blesle to the Chavagnac family, which undertook radical transformations: partial demolition of the fortifications and the southern house to build a new building, a garden, and a chapel consecrated in 1728. During the Revolution, although confiscated, the castle was not sold, but part of its northeast ramparts and the chapel were destroyed. The municipality of Blesle became its owner in 1845.

From then on, the castle houses the town hall, the gendarmerie, the prison and the school. In 1860, he was transformed into a convent and private school for girls by the sisters of Saint Joseph, with the addition of a floor. Around 1960, it returned to communal ownership. Today, it hosts the rural centre of promotion and orientation. The tower, classified as a historical monument in 1925, remains the most remarkable vestige of this medieval fortress, a witness to the architectural and social evolutions of Blesle over the centuries.

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