Construction by the Razes family milieu du XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Building of the castle.
1736
Restoration of the castle
Restoration of the castle 1736 (≈ 1736)
Major renovation work.
1739
Construction of the chapel
Construction of the chapel 1739 (≈ 1739)
Addition of a private chapel.
1789
Sale at the Revolution
Sale at the Revolution 1789 (≈ 1789)
Castle sold as national property.
1860
Partial Demolition
Partial Demolition 1860 (≈ 1860)
Sale of land and destruction.
17 janvier 1992
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 17 janvier 1992 (≈ 1992)
Inventory of ruins.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Château de Monismes (cad. E 1441-1445, 1451, 1452, 1583, 1585, 1587, 1589, 1601) : inscription by order of 17 January 1992
Key figures
Famille de Razes - Owner and sponsor
Have the castle built in the 15th.
Origin and history
Monismes Castle, located in Bessines-sur-Gartempe in the Haute-Vienne department, is a building whose origins date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. It was built by the Razes family in the middle of the 15th century and restored in 1736 with the addition of a chapel in 1739. This castle, surrounded by moat and initially composed of a central body flanked by two circular towers, reflects late medieval defensive architecture.
Sold at the Revolution, the property was dismantled in 1860, leaving only remains of a tower and moat. Archaeological discoveries include Gothic sculptures, including human faces and animals, as well as two angels wearing a coat of arms, found in the ditches. These elements probably adorned the crawling of a sprocket wall, attesting to the decorative richness of the castle.
The ruins of Monismes Castle were listed as historical monuments on 17 January 1992. Today, the site belongs to the municipality of Bessines-sur-Gartempe and retains traces of its medieval past, despite the transformations and destructions suffered over the centuries.
