Château de Maÿtie: The Baffling Preference of a Hard Stone in 16th Century

Located at 1 rue du Jeu-de-Paume, Mauléon-Licharre, sits the Château de Maÿtie, a 16th-century French Renaissance castle. Unlike other castles, it sports a riddle wrapped in stone. The castle is almost entirely constructed from le pavois, a stone famed for its hardness. Since 1925, it's been classified as a monument historique, yet the stonecutters still haven't cracked this peculiar preference for a challenging stone. Surrounded by vast green fields and hidden in the countryside, the Château de Maÿtie's rectangular shape, featuring a square turret at each corner, is a stone-cold enigma roofed in chestnut shingles. A must-visit for any stone-obsessed enthusiast, it provides a puzzling spectacle, even if the castle stays tantalizingly out of reach for curious visitors.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons