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Origin and history

The castles of Mello, located in the Oise region of Hauts-de-France, form a medieval complex called the "Grand Mello". Composed of the Fortress of Mello and the Princess' castle, these 15th century buildings were listed as historical monuments on 1 February 1989. Their history dates back at least to the 11th century, with lords Barons mentioned in charters, and a primitive fortress probably linked to the strategic position of the site, dominating a road node and offering an extensive view.

In the Middle Ages, the castle adopts a quadrilateral plan flanked by towers, a base of which remains today. He served as a prison, and his 42-metre dungeon allowed Beauvais to be seen in clear weather. Mello, reporting directly to the king via Senlis, passed into the hands of successive noble families: the Mello (until the 14th century), the Neelle (which rebuilt the south facade with corbelled turrets), and the Montmorency (from 1472 to 1768). The chapel of the Fortress, built by Charlotte-Marguerite de Montmorency, commemorates his brother Henry II, beheaded in 1632.

The site welcomes sovereigns like Henry IV and Louis XIII for hunting, an activity popular in local woods until the 17th century. In the 18th century, Mello was ceded to bourgeois families, including the Seillière, who transformed the Princess' castle in 1871 under the direction of the architect Hippolyte Destailler, a pupil of Viollet-le-Duc. The latter replaces a sober building of the Louis XV period with a neo-medieval construction. Since 2004, the castles have hosted business seminars, combining historical heritage and contemporary use.

The architecture of the castles of Mello is distinguished by massive defensive elements (heavy walls, ceiling heights) and an interior decoration with bright colours (violent red, purple, ochre), inspired by the old salons. The traffics, austeres, evoke the medieval streets of the Marais, contrasting with touches of modernity in the lights. The wrought iron bumpers and woodwork recall the prestige of the former owners, while the chapel retains its memorial vocation.

The department archives of Oise and the memoirs of Lord Herbert de Cherbury (English ambassador in the 17th century) attest to the strategic and social importance of Mello. The site, linked to the royal court via Senlis, illustrates alliances between local nobility (Mello, Neelle) and great families of the kingdom (Montmorency, Condé). Its transformation in the 19th century reflected the romantic taste for the neo-medieval, while preserving traces of earlier eras, such as the supposed Roman foundations of the access bridge.

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