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  2. Patrimoine
  3. Nouvelle-Aquitaine
  4. Vienne
  5. 86140 Scorbé-Clairvaux

  6. Château du Haut-Clairvaux

 Château du Haut-Clairvaux à Scorbé-Clairvaux dans la Vienne

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château
Vienne

Château du Haut-Clairvaux

    Haut Clairvaux
    86140 Scorbé-Clairvaux
Château du Haut-Clairvaux
Château du Haut-Clairvaux
Crédit photo : Sdo216 - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1100
1200
…
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1030 (XIe siècle)
Construction begins
1182
Fortification by Richard Lion Heart
1183
End of family conflict
1569
Occupation during the Wars of Religion
Fin XVIe siècle
Abandonment and dismantling
25 novembre 1926
Historical Monument
1995
Partial restoration
25 mars 2024
Registration of archaeological remains
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The remains of the chapel and dungeon: classification by decree of 25 November 1926; Archaeological remains preserved, in elevation and buried, of the château du Haut-Clairvaux, as shown on the plan attached to the decree, located on parcels Nos. 142, 144, 151, 143, 146, 152, 153, part of Parcel 187, on the public non-cadastre communal domain (part of the chemin du donjon), appearing in the cadastre of the commune, section AC: inscription by decree of 25 March 2024

Key figures

Hugues Ier de Clairvaux - Lord of Clairvaux Initiator of construction in 1030.
Richard Cœur de Lion - Duke of Aquitaine, future king of England Ordained the fortification in 1182.
Henri le Jeune - Son of Henry II Plantagenet Opposed Richard for this castle.
Henri II Plantagenêt - King of England, father of Richard Take control of the castle in 1182.
Bertran de Born - Occitan Troubadour Summon the castle in a song.
Capitaine Teil - Protestant military leader The castle was occupied in 1569.

Origin and history

The château du Haut-Clairvaux, located on a hill overlooking the valley of Envigne at Scorbé-Clairvaux (Vienna, Nouvelle-Aquitaine), was built from the 11th century, under the impulse ofHugues I of Clairvaux, near the Count of Anjou Foulque Nerra. Its strategic position between the counties of Anjou and Aquitaine made it a major issue as soon as it was built. The site, originally conquered by Geoffroy I of Anjou in the 10th century, became a key checkpoint for local lords.

In 1182, Richard Coeur de Lion, then Duke of Aquitaine, ordered the fortification of the castle, adding a dungeon flanked by seven crenelated towers and deep moats. This fortification, perceived as a provocation by his brother Henry the Younger, triggered a family conflict temporarily resolved by their father Henry II, who took control of the castle. The death of Henry the Young in 1183 ended this dispute, but the castle retained its military importance until its abandonment in the 16th century.

During the Wars of Religion (1569), the castle was occupied by Captain Teil, a supporter of the Admiral de Coligny. After its dismantling at the end of the sixteenth century, its stones were reused for local constructions. Only a tower and a seigneurial chapel remain today, classified as Historic Monuments in 1926. Archaeological excavations (2014-2020) revealed unique structures, such as a master tower in horse iron, confirming its central role in the military architecture of Richard Coeur de Lion.

Partially restored in 1995, the site saw its archaeological remains recorded in 2024. Recent discoveries, including a monumental gate and deep ditches, underline its status as "Château-Gaillard de l'Aquitaine", a major program by Richard between 1180 and 1200. The troubadour Bertran de Born also evoked his construction in a song, reflecting the political tensions of the time between the Plantagenes.

Today, the remains of the castle (chapel and dungeon) are protected, while the archaeological plots, spread over several cadastral lots, testify to its past extent. A mixed property (municipal and private), the site remains an emblematic vestige of feudal struggles and medieval military engineering in Poitou.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum