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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The château du Cluzeau, located in the commune of Lathus-Saint-Rémy, has its origins at least during the Romanesque period (XII century), although the first textual records of its seigneury appeared only at the beginning of the 14th century. This site was then part of Montmorillon's chestnut. Until the 20th century, a square dungeon with round buttresses dominated the courtyard, today totally abrased, while its north and west foundations now serve as a base for a house built between the 14th and 15th centuries. This remodeling illustrates the transition between medieval defensive architecture and the residential needs of the late Middle Ages.

The castle retains significant defensive elements, like two cylindrical towers flanking the exterior walls and a third tower housing a screw staircase, accessible by a richly decorated door. The original bays, with ground fillings, as well as medieval chimneys – including a monumental – attest to the quality of the interior fittings. A network of subterraneans dug in the rock, accessible by a spiral staircase, suggests an old occupation of the site, possibly linked to shelter functions. The chapel, mentioned in the sources, disappeared on an indefinite date.

Ranked Historic Monument by order of 2 March 1993, the château du Cluzeau protects both the building (logis, towers, and remains of the dungeon) and the soil of the surrounding plots, excluding modern buildings. Its architectural evolution – from the Roman dungeon to the 13th–15th century construction campaigns, then to the 18th century reshuffles – makes it a characteristic example of the adaptation of medieval fortresses to later periods. However, the accuracy of its location remains limited (level 6/10 depending on the sources).

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