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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The château de Cravant, also called Vieux Château, is a former fortified mansion located in Cravant-les-Côteaux, in the department of Indre-et-Loire, in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Built on the foundations of a 13th century castle, it was rebuilt in the 15th century, then enlarged in the 16th and 17th centuries. At the Revolution, it was sold as a national good and transformed into a farm, before being abandoned in the 20th century.

The site occupies a strategic position on the right bank of Saint-Mexme Creek, 95 metres above sea level. The main house body, oriented north-south, is flanked by a square stair tower and a tower in spur to the west, both pierced by murderers and cannons. The remains also include a vaulted casemate connected to undergrounds, as well as the bases of a quadrangular enclosure and a gate in the middle of a hanger, formerly protected by moat and a drawbridge now extinct.

The history of the castle is marked by successive changes. In the 15th century, a fortified mansion replaced a medieval castle, some of which remained foundations. In 1556 the castle was completed, and in 1560 Adam de Hodon added a pavilion with a stair tower and a bastioned tower. In the 17th century, a new house was built, but part of the buildings were destroyed in 1860, including the chapel and the dovecote. The estate, owned by the Orléans family in the 17th century, was seized and sold as a national property in 1796.

Ranked a historic monument in 1945, Cravant Castle illustrates the architectural evolution of medieval fortresses to seigneurial residences. Despite attempts at restoration in the 20th century, it remains in a state of partial ruin, testifying to its defensive and residential past. The preserved elements, such as mâchicoulis, cannons and underground, offer an overview of the military and domestic techniques of the 15th-17th centuries.

The castle was the center of a chestnutry under the direct control of the king, with rights of high, medium and low justice. Among his lords were Geoffroy dit Foucaud (attested in 1045), Marie de Bourbon (duchess of Montpensier), and Gaston de France (duc d'Orléans), whose daughter, Anne-Marie-Louise d'Orléans, bequeathed the estate to Philippe d'Anjou. After the Revolution, the castle changed hands several times before being abandoned, despite its ranking.

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