Grandval Castle: A 15th-Century Residence in France
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- France
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Early Modern
- Civilizations
- French
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Castle
On this page5 sections
History
Grandval Castle stood in Grandval, within the commune of Teillet in France. Built in the mid-15th century at the request of the Viscounts of Paulin, noble title-holders traditionally ranking below counts, it was constructed by Bernard de Caudière, lord of Bézacoul, who was also its first owner.
Rebuilding and restoration
Jean Bernard rebuilt the castle in the 18th century. He and General de Frégeville also carried out restoration work.
Resistance and destruction in 1944
In June 1944, a group of French Resistance fighters established themselves in the castle. The Resistance was a movement of groups opposing the German occupation of France during the Second World War. On the morning of 21 June, German forces led by Lieutenant Fritcher set fire to the castle and its outbuildings.
Rebuilding and inundation
After the fire, owner Henry Cassan received compensation for war damage and built a more modest house nearby, along an avenue of plane trees. In 1954, the Razisse reservoir partly submerged the castle, its outbuildings and Cassan’s house.
Remains
The castle occupied the middle of a peninsula formed by the River Dadou, in a valley about four kilometres south of the village of Teillet and beside the departmental road toward Rayssac. Cassan’s replacement house stood nearby along a long avenue of plane trees. The reservoir now covers parts of the former site and its buildings. During severe drought, when the water level is low, the old riverbed can still be discerned.
