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Origin and history

Bonnivet Castle, located in Vendeuvre-du-Poitou in Vienna (New Aquitaine), was one of the most ambitious architectural projects of the first French Renaissance, even before Chambord. Built in 1515 by William II Gouffier, a favourite of Francis I, it symbolized the artistic fascist and innovation of the time. Its 98-metre façade, framed by two towers and decorated with a monumental staircase with double opening, marked the spirits with its Italian decor mixed with French influences: rinches, pilasters, candelabras and medallions.

The construction was abruptly interrupted in 1525 with the death of Bonnivet at the Battle of Pavia, where he fought alongside the king. The castle, unfinished, was taken over a century later, between 1649 and 1672, by Jacques de Mesgrigny, son-in-law of the Gouffier heirs. Despite this work, the estate was sold in lots from 1788 and then dismantled as a stone quarry after the Revolution. Its carved elements, saved in extremis, are now scattered in museums (Poitiers, Louvre, Cleveland) and nearby castles (Avançon, Chincé).

Architecturally revolutionary, Bonnivet had a profound influence on regional art: his designs were then decorated with the private hotels in Poitiers (Berthelot, d'Estissac). The site, reduced to its north fence wall (1660) and archaeological remains, was listed as a Historic Monument in 2001. Its staircase, sold numbered to be re-assembled elsewhere, illustrates the systematic looting of the castles after 1789. The rare graphic representations (Chastillon engravings, Hivonnait drawings) allow to reconstruct its appearance.

The literary posterity of Bonnivet is notable: Rabelais s Its history, marked by rivalries between the Connétable de Bourbon and Gouffier, reflects the political tensions of the Renaissance. Today, the archaeological site and collections of the Holy Cross Museum (Poitiers) perpetuate its memory.

The castle was also a tragic heritage issue: sold as a national property in 1795 after the emigration of its last owner, Charles-Louis de Chasteigner, its stones were used to build local houses. The West's antique dealers saved part of its decor, showing an early enthusiasm for heritage preservation. His architectural model, combining Italian innovation and French tradition, made Bonnivet a missing link between Blois and Chambord.

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