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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Brosse, mentioned in 974 under the name castrum quod Brucia dicitur by the columnist Aimoin de Fleury, is a medieval military building built in the 10th century. Its present ruins, located on the commune of Chaillac in Indre, reveal a 13th century circular dungeon built on a feudal motte, as well as flanking towers remodeled in the 15th century. The site, surrounded by a hamlet with ancient houses, illustrates the architectural evolution of fortresses between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

At the beginning of the 14th century, the castle ceased to be occupied by the Viscounts of Brosse after the marriage of Jeanne de Brosse, last heiress, with André de Chauvigny in 1322. During the Hundred Years' War, the fortress — then owned by Guy I of Chauvigny, allied to the King of France — was taken and set on fire around 1369 by the English senechal of Poitiers, Guillaume de Felynton. This conflict marks a turning point in its history, already weakened by the gradual abandonment of the site by its lords in the 15th century.

The remains of the castle, classified as a historic monument in 1935, include a defenseless doorway, collapsed walls, and a well with margin. In the 18th century Joseph de Fougières acquired the ruins and began their dismantling to recover the stones, a common practice until the 19th century. Today, the site offers an overview of medieval fortification techniques and their decline, while maintaining traces of the noble families that are succeeded by them (Brosse, Chauvigny, Bourbon-Montpensier).

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