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Origin and history

The castle of Sours, also called Château de la Vallée or Aval, is a 17th century estate built in 1653 by Philippe de Montigny, governor of Dieppe, on the foundations of a 13th century medieval building. This first castle, of which there are still steep vaults, could have hosted the negotiations of the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360 between France and England. The archives were missing to confirm his connection with the Laval family, although his name could testify. The site, transformed into a hunting and fishing area, takes over the architectural model of the Château de Montigny in the Yonne, property of the same lord.

In the 18th century, the castle, inherited by Guillaume de Montigny, retained its cynegetic use while sheltering a richly wooded living room, probably built by local artisans during the Revolution. The park, divided into public and private areas, is home to diverse wildlife and water systems that supply a pond called the Canal. In 1987, its facades, roofs and interior woodwork were classified as Historic Monuments. The estate, sold in the 1990s to an individual, remains partially exploited as a cereal farm, while its public park hosts local events.

The castle is associated with Templar legends, evoking subterraneans linking the Sours Commanderie to the Cathedral of Chartres, although no archaeological evidence confirms them. Its park, organized in starry alleys around a central clearing ("the Moon"), served as a setting for revolutionary festivals in the 1980s. Today, he visits from June to September, mixing architectural heritage, preserved nature and traces of a turbulent history, from medieval wars to the French Revolution.

Successive owners, such as the Marquis de Rozières in the 20th century, marked its history, while the town of Sours now manages the maintenance of the public park. The private part, left in the wild, contrasts with the landscaped spaces, where lawns, ponds and forests are home to remarkable biodiversity. The postcards published between 1918 and 1938 attest to its early tourist attraction, between historical memory and rural life.

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