Castel Noël Castle

Castel Noël Castle, locally known as Château de Castel Noël, lies north of the hamlet of Cussagols, in the Aveyron department in France.

Already in the 11th century a castle was mentioned here. At that time it was called Calhac/Cailhac and owned by the Viscounts of Carlat.

The castle was rebuilt during the 14th century and renamed "Castelnovel"; meaning "new castle". This name later corrupted to Castel Noël. The keep dates back to this period. In the 15th century another rebuilding campaign followed during which the main building was built.

Castel Noël Castle was besieged and taken in 1594. Around 1685 the last Carlat descendant; Marc Antoine de Carlat, died, after which the castle was leased out. Although revolutionaries seized the castle during the French Revolution, in 1793, the castle survived unscathed with only a coat of arms above the gate having been destroyed.

During the 2nd quarter of the 19th century the castle came into the possession of Antoine Chapt de Rastignac, a French general of the Revolution and the Empire. He significantly altered the castle by removing the roof of the keep and lowering its height by a third, also 2 towers which flanked the main building were destroyed. 

At present Castel Noël Castle is a private residence and can thus not be visited. I especially like the keep.

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