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Origin and history

The castle of Servies-en-Val, located in the department of Aude in Occitanie, is a building whose origins date back to at least the thirteenth century. It consists of a dungeon of a barlong plan, probably built between the 12th and 13th centuries, and a residential complex added later. The latter, characterized by architectural elements such as a straight staircase, sill crosses and beams ceilings, dates from the first half of the seventeenth century, between 1630 and 1666. The decorated chimneys appeared after 1784, while interior and exterior fittings (terrace, terraced garden, gypsum shops) were made in the 19th century.

The seigneury of Servies was mentioned as early as 951 and belonged successively to the Counts of Carcassonne, to the lords of Termes, and then to the cathedral chapter of Saint-Nazaire de Carcassonne after 1260. In 1300, a parage was established between the king of France and the chapter. The estate was alienated in 1525 to finance the ransom of Francis I. The castle, which was listed as a historical monument in 1926, includes medieval defensive elements (bretches, flames) and interior decorations of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, reflecting its evolution between fortress and residence.

Ranked among the natural sites since 1943, the castle illustrates the architectural adaptation of a medieval building to the residential needs of modern times. Its history is marked by successive transformations, from its role as a strong place to its use as an aristocratic home, with interior arrangements (painted papers, paintings) and exterior (gardens) typical of the nineteenth century. The accuracy of its location is considered satisfactory, and there remains a testimony of the seigneurial and royal dynamics in Languedoc.

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