Roger Mercier, Chateau de Bresse- Castille/Bresse-Castille castle

pictures (may 2013) courtesy of Cees van Halderen

facade along the main street

Damerey is a small community in the Burgundy area in France, north-east of Chalons-sur-Saône. Along the main road N 73, that bisects the community, one comes along a castle-like creative construct, named Chateau de Bresse-Castille, made by Roger Mercier.

Life and works

Born in Spain (in 1925?), Roger Mercier became an officer with the french merchant navy.

Retired in 1984, he began transforming the facade of his house in Damerey, located along the main street, decorating and embellishing it with sculptures.

Behind the house, along a side street, the property has an inner court with another building in the rear. This inner court once more has sculptures and various constructs, like arcades and a decorated tower.

the inner court

The scene expresses kind of a homage to Mercier's homeland, Spain, with impersonations of spanish characters, like dancers and a torero, but also bulls, all painted in bright colours.

But then, one also can meet Neptune and mermaids.....

By constructing arcades and a tower, and decorating the walls of the court, Mercier created kind of a colourful hacienda in the midst of Burgundian surroundings.

It has taken Mercier some sixteen years (1984-2000) and some twenty building permits, to establish this outsider environment.

Roger Mercier, may 2013

In december 2013 the Journal de Saone-et-Loire reported that Roger Mercier has left Damerey and has joined his family.

Documentation/more pictures
* Article (november 2013) on the Vivre-a-Chalon website, with a variety of pictures and announcing Mercier's departure
* The lorgnette d'un jour blog has some info and pictures (may 2012)
* More pictures on canalblog (Sirhill89)
* Article (april 2013) by Cees van Halderen on his weblog and series of pictures on his Picasa page

Roger Mercier
Chateau de Bresse-Castille

71620 Damerey, FR 
no public visits, visible from the street