CHABRILLAN, Rhône, Address available on request

A listed medieval castle awaiting comprehensive renovation in the Drôme department, 2 hrs 30 mins from Paris. Situated at the top of a small hill, this building featuring impressive volumes and a considerable height overlooks the old village. All that remains of the original motte-and-bailey castle is a stone keep, built in the 13th century on the north side, and two towers marking the boundary of the castle grounds. The scene of many rivalries, it was successively damaged by various wars and during the French Revolution, when it was used as a stone quarry. Burnt down and then destroyed, it was nevertheless inhabited until the mid-17th century. The lower rooms, which are currently inaccessible, also need to be restored. 
This monumental structure, a clever combination of defensive round and square towers, was built of dressed stone from the 10th century onwards and lies now in ruins. 
Various stages of construction, repair and extension can be traced in the disparate composition of its walls, some of which have now collapsed. 
The castle, which stands on a plot of land of around 2,000 m², is accessed via a forecourt. Close to the village, there are also two spinneys covering roughly 2 hectares.