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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The feudal motte of Steenvoorde is a medieval monument located in the commune of the same name, in the department of Nord (Hauts-de-France). This type of structure, characteristic of the Middle Ages, consisted of an elevation of artificial earth, often surmounted by a wooden or stone tower, serving as a defensive and monitoring point. Feudal mottes were usually surrounded by ditches and palissades, playing a key role in the territorial and military organization of the time.

Steenvoorde, like many localities in Flanders at that time, was probably organized around local lords who controlled these defensive works. Feudal mottes were used not only to protect populations from invasions or local conflicts, but also to assert the power of the lords on their lands. Their construction reflected the political and military tensions of the medieval era, marked by feudality and fragmentation of power.

The Steenvoorde mot, classified as a Historical Monument by decree of 7 September 1979, is a preserved example of this defensive heritage, although its specific history and its possible owners or builders are not detailed in the available sources.

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