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Key figures

Origin and history

The Castle of Crozant is a medieval fortress built at the end of the 12th century, then rebuilt in the 13th and 15th centuries. Its remains, perched on a rocky spur between Creuse and Sedelle, illustrate the defensive architecture of the era. The site, occupied since protohistory, was abandoned in antiquity before hosting a first fortress between 997 and 1018. The present castle, mentioned in charters around 1200–1210, was developed by the Counts of the March, including Hugues X of Lusignan, husband of Isabelle d'Angoulême, to whom a tower is assigned.

In the 13th century, the comtal castle (Crusanum castrum comitis Marchie) took its definitive form, with fortifications reinforced to resist threats, as during the riding of the Black Prince in 1356, where it resisted the Anglo-Gascons. In 1347, the Count of the Marche had already ordered his supply in the face of the fear of an English attack. The site was also the scene of religious conflicts: in 1588, extremist Catholics seized the castle, causing the ruin of a tower. As early as 1606, he served as a quarry for the inhabitants, as evidenced by a 1640 report describing his state of disrepair.

Confiscated to the Crown in 1527 after the betrayal of the connétable de Bourbon, the castle was acquired in 1646 by Gabriel Foucault de Saint-Germain-Beaupré, governor of the Marche. His descendants, including Henri Foucault (died 1678), inherited it until the 18th century. After centuries of abandonment, the ruins were bought by the municipality of Crozant. Today, a joint trade union (Department of Creuse, Community of Municipalities of the Dunois Country, municipality of Crozant) runs a rehabilitation programme, integrating the site with the Valley of Painters, a territory inspired by Impressionist and post-impressionist artists.

The remains include several enclosures, a 15th century square dungeon, two 13th century towers, a chapel and the water tower, allowing access to the river covered. Ranked a historic monument in 1997, the castle also marked literature: George Sand, after a visit with Chopin, made it the frame of his novel Mauprat, while Armand Guillaumin, Impressionist painter, celebrated its beauty. Local legends, such as the Rock of the Yarns or the Charraud bridge built by the devil, add a mythical dimension to the site.

The list of the lords of Crozant, from the Plantagenets (Henri II, Richard Coeur de Lion) to the Bourbon-La Marche (Jacques II) and Lusignan (Hugues X), reflects its strategic importance. The castle was also linked to figures such as Isabelle d'Angoulême or the Foucault de Saint-Germain-Beaupré. Its decline accelerated after 1606, when it became a source of materials for villagers, before its modern preservation.

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