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Origin and history

Châteaumur dungeon, located in the commune of Châtelliers-Châteaumur in Vendée, is a medieval vestige of the 12th and 14th centuries. It was the heart of a strong castle, the seat of a powerful barony under Thouars, mentioned as early as 950 in the archives. This strategic site dominated 32 surrounding parishes and had a right to justice, reflecting its political and military importance until the Revolution.

Originally, Châteaumur and Les Châtelliers formed two distinct parishes, the first being much more prosperous thanks to its castle and its agglomeration surrounding the fortress. The two local churches were destroyed during the Revolution, and only the Châtelliers were rebuilt, resulting in the merger of the two parishes in 1825. The dungeon, today in ruins, remains the symbol of this contrasting history, between feudal power and post-revolutionary decline.

The Châtelliers-Châteaumur territory, marked by reliefs such as the castlemur hill (212 m above sea level), also preserves archaeological traces, including an underground refuge at the Marronnière and tumulus of uncertain origin. The commune, crossed by the Sèvre Nantaise, has preserved heritage elements such as renovated washhouses and the Lavandières Park, while integrating a recent industrial activity.

Ranked as a Historical Monument in 1979 for its ruins (donjon and gate), the site illustrates the evolution of a medieval powerhouse into a local heritage valued. The toponymy also reveals its history: the revolutionary name "Free Mur" and the Poitevin name "Chatelliers" for Les Châtelliers. Today, the dungeon and its enclosure offer a tangible testimony to the defensive architecture of the twelfth and fourteenth centuries.

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