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Origin and history

The castle of Nieul-les-Saintes, located in Charente-Maritime, has its origins in the 14th century. In 1370 Jeanne de Parthenay inherited the land of Nieul, and her husband, Jean Chaudrier (ancestor of Ronsard), built a castle there. The latter, Mayor of La Rochelle, is famous for having liberated the English town by a trick. The monument reflects a typical 13th and 14th century military architecture, with buttressed walls and a polygonal enclosure.

In the 16th century, the lords of Nieul adopted Calvin's ideas, and Protestant worship was celebrated there in 1573-1574. From 1630 on, the castle had a succession of co-owners until 1720, when it passed to Gabriel Limousin. Sold as a national property in 1793, it is divided between three farmers. Abandoned in the 19th century, it has been gradually restored since 1972 and entered in the Inventory of Historic Monuments in 1988.

The castle's architecture includes dry moat, two missing drawbridges, and courtlines over 12 metres high. The inner courtyard is home to houses and commons backed by the wall, with two remaining stair towers. Two underground rooms and remains of a south wing, destroyed, testify to its complex history. The site, a rare example of Saintongean fortification, was opened to the public in July and August.

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