Mézières Castle

The village of Mézières (FR) is located southeast of Romont. From the end of the 14th century, it was the seat of a relevant lordship of the Castle of Romont and of the Counts of Savoy. Until 1547, it was in the hands of the Donzels of Bonvillars; from that date on, however, its owners changed at a steady pace due to sale or inheritance until the 18th century.

In 1756, the nobleman Jean Joseph Georges von Diesbach, Lord of Chamblon and Torny, bought back the lordship of Mézières, which had already been in his family's possession for 27 years in the previous century.
Mézières

Count von Diesbach then became the owner of a building that was quite different from what we see today: with its square floor plan and Gothic appearance, flanked in its southeast corner by a turret and an external staircase to the north, the Castle of Mézières owes its current appearance only to the alterations undertaken during the time of his son Frédéric Francois. These works consisted of adding a wing to the original masonry in harmony with the facades and the roof to the north; a gallery connecting the main body with the small house located to the northeast was also added between 1777 and 1789.

Obviously, these interventions also necessitated a reorganization and redesign of the interior spaces to transform the residence into a more comfortable dwelling, in line with the taste of the time.

All Diesbach owners of the castle, Jean Joseph Georges as well as his son Frédéric Francois and his grandson Frédéric Ignace, were officers in French service and therefore completely in tune with the latest Parisian decoration methods.

In 1989, an inventory revealed 27 other painted wallpapers on the walls of the manor, all dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, among which 15 were still preserved in remarkable condition. Thirteen borders, three deep wall coverings, all wallpapers, as well as one made of stretched silk, were also counted. This decor proved to be of quite extraordinary interest due to its rarity, its variety, its quality, and its good preservation. The number of painted wallpapers from the 18th and early 19th centuries far exceeds many.