First citation of the seigneury 1172 (≈ 1172)
Initial historical mention of the fief.
1459
Authorization for fortification
Authorization for fortification 1459 (≈ 1459)
Jean d'Appelvoisin obtained the agreement of Louis XI.
XIXe siècle
Home restoration
Home restoration XIXe siècle (≈ 1865)
Work on the rectangular housing body.
13 avril 1989
Protection of interior elements
Protection of interior elements 13 avril 1989 (≈ 1989)
Order of inscription of decorations and facades.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Façades and roofs; elements of interior decoration, in particular: decoration late eighteenth century-early nineteenth century of the ground floor salons, painted decoration of the Renaissance of the room on the first floor of the South-West Tower (ceilings, walls), painted decoration of the Renaissance in the house (olives); four old chimneys (with Renaissance painted decoration on the first floor of the South-West Tower, in the attic of the South-West Tower, on the ground floor of the North-East Pavilion, in the attic of the North-East Pavilion) (Box AN 20): inscription by order of 13 April 1989
Key figures
Jean d'Appelvoisin - Lord and fortifier
Obtained permission from Louis XI in 1459.
Louis XI - King of France
Grant the fortification to Jean d'Appelvoisin.
Origin and history
Thiors Castle, located in Luzay in the Deux-Sèvres (New Aquitaine), is a building whose origins date back to the 15th century, although the seigneury was attested as early as 1172. In 1459, Jean d'Appelvoisin reportedly obtained permission from Louis XI to strengthen the site, marking the beginning of its transformation into a castle surrounded by a large rectangular enclosure flanked by towers. The complex includes a park to the west and a courtyard with communal buildings to the east, organized around a rectangular house body restored in the 19th century.
One of the features of the castle is its southern round tower, which houses a fireplace and painted beams dating from the 16th century, bearing witness to the preserved Renaissance decorations. The facades, roofs and interior elements—including the decorations of the living rooms (late 18th to early 19th century) and the paintings of the first floor of the South-West Tower—have been protected since a 1989 decree. These elements illustrate the architectural and artistic evolution of the monument throughout the centuries.
The accuracy of its location is considered very satisfactory (note 8/10), and the castle, although partially open (visits, rentals or guest rooms not specified in the sources), remains a remarkable example of the seigneurial architecture of the 15th and 16th centuries in Poitou-Charentes. Available data are mainly from the Merimée database and Monumentum, confirming its status as a Historical Monument.
