| Mestral Castle | |
|---|---|
Château de Mestral
Château de Saint-Saphorin-sur-Morges | |
| Échichens | |
Schloss Saint-Saphorin
| |
  Mestral Castle Show map of Canton of Vaud  Mestral Castle Show map of Switzerland | |
| Coordinates | 46°32′43.14″N 6°29′14.80″E / 46.5453167°N 6.4874444°E / 46.5453167; 6.4874444 |
| Code | CH-VD |
| Height | 526 m above the sea |
| Site information | |
| Condition | preserved |
| Site history | |
| Built | 17th century |
The Castle of Saint-Saphorin-sur-Morges, also called Mestral Castle, is a castle in the municipalityofEchichens of the Canton of VaudinSwitzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.[1]
The current castle was built on the ruins of an old feudal castle which consisted of two buildings divided by a courtyard: one of them served as a dungeon while the other was used as housing for the local lord.[2]
In 1727, General François-Louis de Pesmes de Saint-Saphorin,[1] after a career as a soldier and a diplomat, retired to Saint-Saphorin where he was born. Previously, he had the castle rebuilt, which already belonged to his family, on the model of that of Vullierens. His daughter, Judith-Louise, married Gabriel-Henri de Mestral, then Lord of Pampigny.[3][4]
The castle took the name of Mestral, and among the successive owners, the engineer Georges de Mestral, inventor of Velcro, inherited it on the death of his father in 1966.
The castle is classified as cultural property of national importance.[3] It is surrounded by a 4.6-hectare (11-acre) wine estate where the Grand Cru Saint-Saphorin-sur-Morges AOC La Côte is produced.[4]
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