Château de Castanet

Château de Castanet, situated in Pourcharesses near Villefort in France, is a rural noble residence built in the 16th century. Constructed in 1578 by Jacques Isarn, a noble of Villefort, the château stands near the lake of Villefort, an artificial lake created behind a dam. The territory of Castanet takes its name from the Occitan word for "chestnut," as these trees are the most common in the area.

After the family of Jacques Isarn moved to Versailles, the château was sold in 1760 and later became a national asset during the French Revolution. For a time, it belonged to farmers until 1962, when the company Electricité de France planned to destroy the building to build a dam. Villagers revolted, entered the château to create an Inventory of Historical Monuments, and successfully had the site assigned to the community of communes of Villefort in 1964.

The château was reinforced to protect it from the lake and survived a fire in 2000. Following extensive renovation, it reopened in 2006. It now hosts a permanent exhibition on the history of the region and temporary exhibitions of artists and craftsmen.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons