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Origin and history

Ressouches Castle is a building located in the commune of Chanac, in Lozère (former Gevaudan), in the Occitan region. Built between the second half of the 16th century and the first half of the 17th century, it overlooks the right bank of the Lot, west of the village. This castle replaces an ancient manse (feudal domain) belonging to the bishops of Mende from the thirteenth century, later consolidated to form a strong house, then the present castle.

In 1560, a seigneury of Ressouches was attested, and Charles of Aragon, lord of the place, erected the castle on the foundations of a 13th century building. The building consists of a three-storey house body, flanked by two east and west corner towers, and a circular north tower with a stone staircase. This tower, equipped with ravens that once supported a mâchicoulis, illustrates its initial defensive role. The south facade, with four sill windows, reflects Renaissance architecture.

In the mid-17th century, the castle passed into the hands of Antoine de Buisson, who undertook major repairs and rebuilt the adjoining farm. The chapel, dated the same century, bears the arms of the Dupont of Ligonnes, a noble family that acquired the estate in 1908. In the 19th century, the farm was enlarged with the addition of stables adjacent to the chapel. The castle, registered as a historical monument in 1971 and extended in 1992, now includes agricultural buildings, a courtyard, a chapel and a terraced garden.

The site preserves traces of its architectural evolution, mixing medieval defensive elements and residential developments of modern times. The property, still owned by the descendants of the Dupont of Ligonnes (Chantal Dupont of Ligonnes, wife Bazin of Jessey), bears witness to the feudal and seigneurial history of the Gevaudan, marked by the influences of the kings of Aragon and the local Church.

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