Construction of the moth Moyen Âge (≈ 1125)
Estimated construction period (undated specifically).
1er février 1993
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 1er février 1993 (≈ 1993)
Registration by official order (motte and ditch).
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Castral motte and its ditch (cf. A 44, 45): entry by order of 1 February 1993
Origin and history
The castral motte du Creux-du-Renard, located in Vidaillat in the Creuse department (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), is an emblematic monument of the medieval period. This type of structure, characteristic of the Xth–XIIth centuries, served as a point of defence and territorial control for the local lords. The motte, accompanied by its ditch, illustrates the basic but effective fortification techniques of the time, adapted to the reliefs and strategic needs of rural communities.
Classified as a Historical Monument by order of 1 February 1993, this castral motte is subject to specific protection relating to its structural elements (motte and ditch). Its location, although documented in the Mérimée database under the Insee 23260 code, remains approximate, with geographical accuracy assessed as "a priori satisfactory". This site offers a material testimony of feudal dynamics in Limousin, where castral mots played a central role in the organization of local power and land management.
Like other similar monuments, the motte du Creux-du-Renard is part of a historical landscape marked by the rise of seigneuries and the fragmentation of the territory. These buildings, often erected on high points, served as both seigneurial residences and refuges for people in the event of conflict. Their presence reflects a time when security and symbolic domination were inextricably linked, in a region then marked by agrarian economy and limited trade.
