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Château de Vouzay dans le Cher

Cher

Château de Vouzay

    30 Chemin de Vouzay
    18000 Bourges

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1700
1800
1900
2000
1735
Publication of the "Memoires" of Abbé de Choisy
1903
Visit of philosopher Alain
1934
Acquisition by Jules Roman
1946
Repurchase by the Cher department
2014
Installation of an EMI
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Key figures

Abbé de Choisy - Writer and companion of Philippe d'Orléans Written his memoirs at the castle.
Jules Roman - Engineer and owner in 1934 Father of Monique Roman-Lévi-Strauss.
Monique Roman - Daughter of Jules Roman, autobiographer Wife of Claude Lévi-Strauss.
Philippe d'Orléans - Brother of Louis XIV Abbé's playmate.
Alain (philosophe) - Visitor in 1903 Describes the castle as abandoned.

Origin and history

The Château de Vouzay is located in the commune of Bourges, in the Cher department, in the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is located west of the city, on the edge of the Berry Canal, in a place called the Batard Mills. This site, marked by its aquatic environment, has probably played a role in its history and use over the centuries.

The castle is particularly famous for hosting the Abbé de Choisy, a playmate of Philip d'Orléans, brother of Louis XIV. The latter would be withdrawn to write his Memoirs (published in 1735), where he evokes his habit of dressing as a woman under the name of Countess des Barres. This anecdotal detail illustrates the atypical character of some occupants of the site.

In the 20th century, the castle changed hands and vocation several times. In 1934, the engineer Jules Roman became the owner, an episode told by his daughter, Monique Roman (wife of Claude Lévi-Strauss), in his autobiography. During World War II, the castle was requisitioned by the German army. Repurchased in 1946 by the Cher department, it was then converted into a domestic agricultural school and then into a centre for disabled people. Since 2014, it has been home to a medical-educational institute (IME), marking its lasting anchor in the social field.

Before these transformations, the castle seems to have experienced periods of abandonment. The philosopher Alain, during a stay in Bourges in 1903, describes him as abandoned. He then passed into the hands of foreign owners, such as Maud Chesson or a certain Mr. Laski, before his acquisition by the Romans. These transitions reflect the social and economic upheavals in the region at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Today, the castle of Vouzay embodies both an architectural heritage and a social memory. Its successive use for education and accompaniment for persons with disabilities is evidence of a constant adaptation to the needs of the local community, while maintaining its status as an emblematic historic monument of the Cher.

External links