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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Masse, located 3 km northeast of Espalion in Aveyron, is an old Cistercian barn dependent on Bonneval Abbey, founded in 1147. This network of barns, typical of medieval monastic settlements, was used to store crops and manage surrounding farmland. The current fortified tower, known as the "Mass Tower", was erected in the 15th century under the impulse of Abbé Pierre Rigald (1446–73), as evidenced by the coat of arms and the inscription dated 1453 on its southern facade.

Designed on four stone levels, this tower performed three functions: wheat attic for the abbey, occasional residence for the abbey, and refuge in case of danger. The building was confiscated as a national property during the French Revolution, then acquired in 1864 by a family of industrialists from Espalion, which kept it until 2014. Its architecture reflects the adaptation of the Cistercian barns to the defensive needs of the late Middle Ages, a period marked by the unrest of the Hundred Years War.

Ranked a historic monument by decree of 5 March 1928, the Château de Masse illustrates the agricultural and religious heritage of the Rouergue. The eroded coat of arms and the inscription of 1453, although partially erased, remain the only direct testimony of its foundation by Pierre Rigald. The site, now privately owned, retains an approximate location (GPS coordinates: latitude 44.53, longitude 2.78), with cartographic accuracy considered "a priori satisfactory" (level 6/10).

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