First mention of the fief XIe siècle (≈ 1150)
Charter attesting to its antiquity.
1464
Partial reconstruction
Partial reconstruction 1464 (≈ 1464)
Works assigned to Louis d'Angou.
août 1793
Destruction Decree
Destruction Decree août 1793 (≈ 1793)
Ordered by the National Convention.
1836
Disappearance of major elements
Disappearance of major elements 1836 (≈ 1836)
Gate, dungeon and chapel destroyed.
3 mars 1987
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 3 mars 1987 (≈ 1987)
Protection of remaining remains.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The round enclosure tower located to the east, next to the town hall, and the stair tower next to it; the remains of the remaining part of the old 15th century house corps and the round enclosure tower south of C.D. 15 (Box AB 436, 203): inscription by order of 3 March 1987
Key figures
Louis d'Angou - Lord and Presumed Reconstructor
Associated with the work of 1464.
Origin and history
The castle of Mézières-en-Brenne finds its origins in an 11th century charter, attesting to its antiquity. This fief, dependent on the diocese of Bourges but under the feudal authority of Tours, was surrounded by an elliptical enclosure and ditches. From the medieval castle, there are only three round towers and ruins of the buildings rebuilt from 1464, probably under the impulse of Louis d'Angou. These remains testify to its strategic and architectural importance at the time.
From 1750 the castle was abandoned and ceased to be maintained. Its destruction was ordered in August 1793 by a decree of the Convention, resulting in the gradual disappearance of its major elements: entrance gate, dungeon, chapel and outbuildings. In 1836, only part of the towers and remains of the 15th century house body remained. These ruins, now partially protected, recall its feudal past and the upheavals of the Revolution.
The remains still visible include a round enclosure tower in the east, near the town hall, as well as a stairway tower and remains of the 15th century house body. These elements, listed in the Historical Monuments in 1987, are divided between communal and private property. Their present state reflects both their past greatness and the vicissitudes of history, from their medieval edification to their post-revolutionary decline.
