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Origin and history

The Château de Montépilloy, located in the Oise department in the Hauts-de-France region, is a medieval vestige whose origins date back to at least the twelfth century. It was originally built as a feudal watchtower, as indicated by the etymology of its name, derived from the spillous pickard (watchtower). The first architectural elements date from the beginning of the 13th century, with a wall of enclosure and a fortified gate, built by the family of the Senlis Bouteiller, local lords and royal officers.

The castle experienced a major destruction during the Great Jacquerie in 1358, then was partially rebuilt from 1360 under the impulse of Robert de Lorris, the king's chamberlain. The circular dungeon, 35 metres high, was probably erected between 1360 and 1390, with successive interventions by Enguerrand VII de Coucy and Olivier V de Clisson, connetable of France. The latter, owner from 1389 onwards, could have completed the dungeon, whose architecture combines features of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, reflecting an early construction in the troubled context of the Hundred Years War.

At the beginning of the fifteenth century, under William II The Bouteiller, important works were carried out between 1409 and 1411, including the overhaul of the upper floors of the dungeon and the construction of an unfinished "new castle". This project aimed to create a noble court with seigneurial houses, court and defensive tower, but was interrupted by the conflicts between Armagnacs and Bourguignons. The castle, already in ruins at the end of the 15th century, then served as a seigneurial farm until the French Revolution. The remains, classified as historical monuments in 1963, today testify to the evolution of medieval military architecture, combining defensive and residential functions.

The fortified gate, dating from the beginning of the 13th century but enhanced at the end of the 15th century, illustrates this duality: its first two levels, with a military vocation, contrast with the upper floors added later, of residential character. The partially ruined dungeon retains sophisticated defensive elements, such as archères, an inner well and mâchicoulis typical of the castles of the region, such as Pierrefonds or Coucy. These were probably designed by the architect Jean Aubelet, who was active in the area at the beginning of the 15th century.

The site, which has been open to the public since 2012, benefited from restorations conducted by volunteers in 2019. Its dungeon, visible more than ten kilometers in the round, dominates an agricultural plain and marks the landscape for a long time. The enclosure, surrounded by dry moat, houses the ruins of a seigneurial farm, now untapped. The Château de Montépilloy remains a remarkable example of the adaptation of medieval fortresses to strategic and residential needs, while reflecting the political and military upheavals of its time.

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