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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The dungeon of the Chair is a high square tower erected in the 11th century on a rock pierced by underground, near the hamlet of the Chair, on the town of Vouthon (Charente). This monument, now classified as historical monuments (since 8 July 1988), has a characteristic defensive architecture, with a screw staircase integrated in a tower overlooking it. Although partially redesigned in the 15th and 16th centuries, it retains medieval elements such as remains of chimneys and a reservoir installed at one of the higher levels.

The first written mention of the seigneury of the Chair appears in an act of 1512, suggesting its integration into a fortified ensemble or its role as a tower of surveillance. The mâchicoulis, now missing with the exception of their consoles, attest to its original defensive use. The dungeon, located at 2 Rue du Château, overlooks a rocky site on the edge of the Cave of the Chair, a major prehistoric place in the region.

Architecturally, the dungeon consists of two levels visible above the ground floor, with subsequent developments like medieval chimneys. Its listing in the inventory of historic monuments underlines its heritage importance, although its current state and accessibility (visit, rental) are not specified in the sources. The tower illustrates the evolution of local fortifications between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, in a regional context marked by feudal conflicts and then artillery-related transformations.

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