Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The château des Brétignolles, located in Anché en Indre-et-Loire, is mentioned from the ninth century in a diploma of Charles II le Chauve as property of the chapter of Saint-Martin de Tours. In the 11th century, it passed under the dependence of the abbey of Marmoutier and the priory of Tavant. In the 15th century, the Bernard family, native of La Ferté-Bernard and influential in Touraine, became its owner and began the construction of the present castle, completed around 1500. The chapel, dedicated to Saint Marie-Madeleine and Notre-Dame-de-Pitié, was built in 1507 under Antoine Bernard, reflecting the religious and seigneurial importance of the estate.

Between the 15th and 17th centuries, the castle remained in the hands of Bernard, a line of high officials and ecclesiasticals close to the royal power. Jean Bernard, governor of Loches and valet of room of Charles VII, initiates the work, while his descendant Antoine Bernard completes the towers and the south-east pavilion. In 1640 Guillaume de Bordeaux, king's adviser, acquired the estate and reunited the Hautes et Basses Brétigolles, adding Bois de Veude in 1642. The estate then passed by alliance to the Martineau (1706) and Turgot (1718) families, who built the communes there in 1732 and enlarged the park.

In the 19th century, the castle was sold to the family of Pierres de Fougeray, which kept it until 1932, despite the turbulences of the Revolution and wars. During the Second World War, he was requisitioned by the French state and then by the German army, suffering degradation. In 1932, Count Marcel de Bernard de La Fosse, descendant of the first owners, bought the estate. Since 2016, a Norman family has been restoring it, preserving this architectural testimony of the Loire castles, classified as a Historical Monument in 1949.

The castle consists of a rectangular house flanked by four dissimilar towers (polygonal, horseshoe, circular and square), reflecting its successive construction campaigns. The chapel, decorated with coats of arms of Bernard and France, houses ogival vaults and stained glass windows dedicated to Marie-Madeleine. The commons, built in 1732, form a symmetrical ensemble with carved stables and dormers. A 14th century medieval tower, transformed into a dovecote, and troglodyte cellars (bread oven, press, cellar) complete this exceptional heritage.

The area illustrates the social and political evolution of the Touraine, from medieval lords (Bernard) to bourgeois families (Turgot, de Pierres) linked to the court or royal administration. Its hybrid architecture — defensive by its towers, residential by its Renaissance decorations — makes it a rare example of historical continuity. The current restorations aim to preserve this place full of memory, open to the public and witness to the transformations of the nobility and territory of the Niger.

Future

Recently opened to the public, the Château des Brétignolles is a rich testimony of Gothic architecture in Touraine.
The guided tour of the castle with the owners includes the interior of the castle (large lounges, trophy room, upper bedroom), the seigneurial chapel and the medieval tower of the park.
The 45 minutes of visit highlight the architecture and history of the estate, as well as some works of art.
Open Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

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