Castle of the Counts of Hainaut (Castle of Nicolas d'Avesnes)

En un regard

Le château en bref

In the heart of Condé-sur-l'Escaut, the former castle of the Counts of Hainaut – also known as the Castle of Nicolas d'Avesnes or the former arsenal – is one of the few surviving medieval castle complexes in the Valenciennois. It originated as a motte-and-bailey mound, rebuilt in 1184, which was then surrounded in the second half of the 13th century by a fortified enceinte. The motte, faced with stone and encircled by a chemise, bears the remains of the keep. The enceinte, bordered by moats, has curtain walls flanked by five corner towers and three intermediate towers; the entrance on the north side is through a gatehouse with two towers. The complex also houses two superimposed chapels. A stronghold until the 17th century, the castle later became an arsenal, then a military hospital, and in the 20th century housed a gendarmerie. Partially listed in 1948 and classified in 2006, it belongs to the commune and to a social landlord: since the 1990s, the postern and two towers have been used as housing.