Reconstruction by Claude II de La Châtre 1586 (≈ 1586)
Castle transformed into headquarters.
XIXe siècle
Fire and restoration
Fire and restoration XIXe siècle (≈ 1865)
Modifications of the disaster façades.
1927, 1965, 1990
Historical Monuments
Historical Monuments 1927, 1965, 1990 (≈ 1990)
Partial protection of the castle and decorations.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Castle, with the exception of parts classified (Box C 46): inscription by order of 26 January 1927; Renaissance Pavilion located at the southwest corner of the castle (Box C 46): classification by decree of 25 March 1965; Façades and roofs (except those of the Renaissance pavilion already classified); moats and their retaining walls; floor of the court of honor; remains of the enclosure of the castle; rotating staircase serving the western part of the building; The so-called Chapelain room, including its painted decoration, located in the top of the west wing of the central body; library, with its decor, located on the first floor of the central corps pavilion (C 45 to 48): classification by order of 13 September 1990
Key figures
Claude II de La Châtre - Marshal of France and leader of the League
Sponsor of reconstruction in 1586.
Origin and history
The Château de la Maisonfort, located in Genouilly in the Cher, finds its origins in a major reconstruction in 1586 for Claude II de La Châtre, Marshal de France and leader of the League in Berry. He made it his headquarters during the religious unrest. The first work campaign includes a pavilion, a kitchen house and a gallery. After peace, the castle grew with a large house and an eastern wing, adopting a simplified military style, marked by the abandonment of classical architectural orders and the appearance of a polychrome brick and stone apparatus.
The present building, deprived of its original defences, consists of a central house body flanked by two wings in return of square. The facades preserve medieval traces (southwestern papillon) and Renaissance (lucarnes, brick damiers and stone). In the 19th century, a fire partially damaged the central part, resulting in restorations that altered the facades. Inside, there are monumental 16th-century chimneys, a room decorated with religious and floral frescoes, as well as 18th and 19th-century panelling. The library houses a wallpaper from the late eighteenth century.
Some defensive elements persist, such as a corbelling turret and a polygonal tower of the old farm. The castle illustrates an architectural transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, combining residential and military functions. Partially classified as Historic Monuments (1927, 1965, 1990), it protects its Renaissance pavilion, its moats, and remarkable interior decorations such as the Chapelain's room or the library.
