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Origin and history

The castle of Fougeret, mentioned in 1337, was built as a defensive stronghold at the beginning of the Hundred Years War by the Fougères or Fougeré family. Located on a cliff overlooking Vienna, it was initially used as a country feudal castle, without major architectural pretension. The Frotier family would be at the beginning of the 15th century, giving it a vocation of high justice under the Old Regime.

At the Revolution, the owner fled, and the castle was recovered by Louis-François Bonaventure, mayor of Queaux, who made it his residence. In the 19th century, the Robin-Médard family led an ambitious restoration in a neo-Gothic and troubadour style, adding a floor, rethinking the windows and sophisticating the interior. The castle then became a symbol of bourgeois wealth, mixing medieval elements (bretches, sarcophagus) and eclectic decorations (frescoes, woodwork, Gothic staircase).

In the 20th century, under the impetus of Paul Robain, close to the French Action, the castle welcomed the royalist and Catholic elite during world festivals. Abandoned for half a century, it was purchased in 2009 and registered with Historic Monuments in 2010. Since then, its owners have highlighted paranormal phenomena, organizing spiritual and psychic evenings, mediated by reports (TF1, Netflix) and books. These controversial activities would partially fund its ongoing renovation.

Architecturally, the castle is distinguished by its house body flanked by three round towers and a chapel, surrounded by a park of ten hectares with exotic species (séquoias, American walnuts). Inside, there are wall paintings, a monumental Gothic fireplace, a carved stone staircase, and sled windows. The influence of Gustave Doré's engravings is palpable, evoking a fairytale castle.

Contemporary folklore now combines Fougeret with legends of haunting, exploited commercially since 2010. Skeptics question the authenticity of these accounts, while books (such as Fougeret's Les Invisibles by Véronique Geffroy) and the media amplify his reputation as 'the most haunted castle in France'.

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