Selles Castle

Selles Castle, locally known as Château de Selles, lies in the center of the city of Cambrai, in the Nord department in France.

Selles Castle was first mentioned in 1119. It was probably built in the 11th century, between 1026 and 1080, when the bishops of Cambrai fortified the town. At that time it probably consisted of a keep on a motte.

In 1270 Bishop Nicolas de Fontaines rebuilt the castle. The oldest visible remains date back to that time.

Cambrai was occupied by Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, in 1543. He then built a new citadel on the other side of town to better defend the town against the French. From then on Selles Castle gradually lost it military purpose and became a prison.

In 1677 Cambrai was besieged by Louis XIV of France, during which Selles Castle was damaged.

During the 18th century the local government had the castle largely demolished in order to make room for the building of military structures and a bakery. In 1813 these buildings were converted into a military hospital. A lot of soldiers wounded at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 were treated here. The hospital remained in use until 1940.

Since 1992 the buildings in the castle house a regional courthouse.

At present Selles Castle can not be visited due to its function as courthouse. A curious complex.

Gallery