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Origin and history

The castles of Mello, located in the Oise department in the Hauts-de-France region, consist of two distinct sets: the Fortress of Mello, dating from the 15th century, and the Princess Castle, rebuilt in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century. These buildings, which have been listed as historic monuments since 1989, illustrate an ancient military and seigneurial occupation, probably linked to the strategic position of the site, overlooking a node of roads and offering a wide view of the surrounding area. Some elements, such as the access bridge, even evoke traces of possible Roman origin, although not confirmed.

In the Middle Ages, the medieval fortress, of quadrilateral form flanked by two towers, served as a prison. A 42-metre dungeon, now extinct, allowed Beauvais to be seen in clear weather. Mello, directly under the crown via Senlis, was the possession of the Barons of Mello from the 11th century, then by alliance to the families Neelle, Bruges, and finally Montmorency. Louise de Nelle, the last heiress, had the south facade rebuilt with corbelled turrets before bequeathing the estate to her niece Charlotte d'Humières, wife of François de Montmorency.

The Montmorency retained Mello until 1768, welcoming personalities such as Henry IV, Louis XIII, and the English ambassador Lord Herbert de Cherbury for hunting parties. The chapel was built by Charlotte-Marguerite de Montmorency in memory of his brother Henry II, beheaded in 1632. The estate then passed into the hands of the Seillière, who had the present Princess Castle built in 1871 by Hippolyte Destailler, pupil of Viollet-le-Duc, replacing a simpler 18th century building. Since 2004, the castles have hosted business seminars.

The interior architecture combines grandeur (high ceilings, thick walls) and bright colours (red, purple, ochre), reflecting the splendor of the salons of the era, while the traffics, austeres, remind medieval alleys. The protected elements include the facades of the two castles, the seillière mortuary chapel and the Sainte-Anne chapel, registered since 1986 and 1989.

The Oise departmental archives and sources such as Monumentum highlight the importance of medieval substructures and classical transformations, while the approximate location (1 Rue de Creil, Mello) and the cartographic accuracy considered "a priori satisfactory" (level 6) complete the available data.

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