Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Montpoupon, located in Cère-la-Ronde in Indre-et-Loire, finds its origins in the 9th or 10th century, when the rocky promontory was occupied by a Germanic clan, the Poppo. The name Montpoupon derives from Mons Poppo (Popponides Hill), evolving linguistically over the centuries. This strategic site, located between Loches and Montrichard, became an issue during the conflicts between Foulques Nerra, Count of Anjou, and Eudes de Blois in the 11th century. The foundations of a first strong castle, probably built by Foulques Nerra, were rediscovered in 1920, revealing a body of rectangular houses flanked by round towers.

In the Middle Ages, Montpoupon rose from the powerful house of Amboise, linked to the Counts of Anjou and the kings of Plantagenes. Hugues II of Amboise, ally of Henry II of England, then Sulpice III of Amboise, marked his history during the Franco-English wars. In the 15th century, after the destruction of the Hundred Years War, Antoine de Prie, Grand Queux de France and Jeanne d'Arc's companion, rebuilt the castle in the Tourangelle Renaissance style. He kept the northern walls of the medieval building, pierced new windows, and erected a chapel decorated with frescoes that had now disappeared.

The family of Prie deeply marked Montpoupon: Aymar de Prie, adviser to Charles VIII and Francis I, added a Renaissance poterne and a room decorated with beams painted by Italian artisans. The ladies of Prie, like Louise de Hautemer and her daughter Louise de La Motte-Houdancourt, governess of royal children under Louis XIV, brought the estate to its social climax. However, their gradual disinterest in the castle led to its decline in the 18th century, before its acquisition by the Marquis of Tristan in 1763.

The Marquis de Tristan undertook major restorations, preserving the Renaissance elements while modernizing the interiors. Despite the revolutionary troubles, which saw the destruction of the chapel, the castle survived intact. In the 19th century, the Garnier families of Farville and La Motte Saint-Pierre gave him his chandelier: Émile de La Motte Saint-Pierre, general guard of the Waters and Forests, built a chapel, a tower, and developed the forest estate. His son Bernard, an officer and passionate hunter, introduced electricity and central heating.

In the 20th century Solange de La Motte Saint-Pierre, heiress and historian, opened the castle to the public in 1971 and created the Musée du Veneur in 1995. Today, the estate, still owned by the Louvencourt family, is visited with its Renaissance interiors, its wooded park, and its museum dedicated to hunting. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1966, Montpoupon embodies nearly a thousand years of history, from medieval conflicts to the fascists of the Tourangelle Renaissance.

Future

The Château de Montpoupon has been open since 1971. And the apartments of the Motte Saint Pierre family in 2016. You will therefore be able to browse it in full thanks to a sounded visit. You will discover the King's room, the Marshal's room, the dining room, the castle kitchens, and the private apartments of the owners. You will find richly furnished rooms, a visit that will make you discover the intimate history of the castle.

Enjoy a nice walk in the park and its surroundings. And don't forget the museum of veneration occupying a good part of the outbuildings and which will show you the importance of hunting in the history of the Touraine and the place, and numerous collections of paintings, hunting costumes and magnificent stuffed animals.

For all!

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