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Origin and history

The castle of Ingrandes, located in the department of Indre, was probably built in the 11th century on the ruins of a Roman castrum overlooking the road between Bourges and Poitiers. Its strategic location, defended by the valley of the Anglin and ditches (now disappeared), made it a key fortress during the Hundred Years War. Bertrand du Guesclin, crossing the region to take Poitiers to the English, quickly seized strong places bordering the Anglin, then under Aquitaine control via Alienor d'Aquitaine.

Reconstructed in the 14th and 15th centuries, the castle preserves prominent architectural elements, such as 1465 frames (including the scratch of a heavy tower, rebuilt in 2005). Henri IV took over during his campaigns against the League and offered to Antoine d'Aloigny, seigneur of the White, as a reward for his support. The pepper towers were truncated in the 17th century, in accordance with royal decrees of 1626 aimed at disarming the vaults.

In the 18th century, Marie-Henriette d'Aloigny, exiled from Versailles for intrigues (mentioned by Saint-Simon), built a house and church in the village (1698). Sold in 1734, the estate passed into the hands of general farmer Claude Dupin, George Sand's grandfather, before being exploited as a farm until the 1970s. The ruins, acquired in 1982 by Alain and Jacqueline Drouart, were restored for 35 years: the dungeon (1995), the house of the 15th century (1992), and a wooden stud (2005), unique in the region.

The architecture reflects the Philippian plan: circular dungeon, four corner towers connected by courtines, and a central staircase serving the levels. The site, registered with the Historical Monuments in 1987 (extended in 2020), now houses guest rooms and opens to the public summer, perpetuating the memory of the Drouart. The remains include enclosure walls, the oval dungeon, and 15th century communes, complemented by a house from the 17th to the 19th century.

The region, at the border of Poitou and Berry, was a strategic crossroads from ancient times. The castle, a witness to medieval conflicts and architectural transformations (murder adapted to firearms, 19th century pierces), illustrates the evolution of fortresses into seigneurial residences. Close to the abbey of Saint-Savin (UNESCO) and the natural park of the Brenne, it is part of a heritage rich in Romanesque buildings and pond landscapes.

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