What are the characteristics of château?
What are the characteristics of château? Chateaux are typically grand and luxurious, with ornamental gardens and grounds. They often feature towers, turrets, courtyards and other features of medieval castles. The term can also refer to any building that has the characteristics of a castle-like structure such as imposing walls or an impressive gatehouse.
What do you call the owner of a ch?teau?
During the 19th and 20th centuries, ch?telain was used to describe the owner of a castle or manor house, in many cases a figure of authority in his parish, akin to the English squire.
Why are there Chateaus in France?
Remember that 'chateau' means castle. The first chateaux in the area were 'proper' fortresses which helped armies withstand waves of invaders, from 8th-century Umayyad forces, to 9th-century marauding Vikings. During the Hundred Years War the Loire Valley was a battleground between the French and the English.
What is the layout of a French château?
It typically features a huge central building with symmetrical wings, surrounded by gardens and grounds. Exteriors of French chateaux usually consist of brick or stone walls, with ornamental turrets and towers included in the design.
What is the difference between a house and a chateau?
So what really distinguishes a “chateau” from a “big country house”? The real difference is in the owner(s). If the family is in the lineage of one of France's “noble” families, and if the house has been passed down from generation to generation, it's usually called a chateau.
What is the difference between chateau and chateaux?
Chateau comes from the French word, château, which derives from the twelth century Old French word, chastel, meaning castle. Usually, chateau is pluralized in the French manner, chateaux.