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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Airvault is a medieval castle built on an ancient castrum, probably at the end of the 12th or early 13th century, then strengthened in the 14th century. It stands on a hill overlooking the Thouet valley, integrating a major defensive system of the city in the Middle Ages. Its enclosure, its two quadrangular towers and its 11th century dungeon (according to historian Henri Bodin) bear witness to a military architecture inspired by a pre-existing Gallic oppidum. The interior buildings, replaced in the 14th and 15th centuries, include a main house, a vaulted prison and a stable.

In 1207 the castle was besieged and conquered by Philippe Auguste, marking its strategic importance. In the 16th century, he welcomed Charles IX and the future Henri IV in 1565, before being burned in 1569 by Gaspard de Coligny, Calvinist leader, in retaliation against René Ysoré, local lord who had supported Catholics during the battle of Moncontour. Abandoned after the fire, it served as agricultural housing in the 20th century, with a house built in the lower courtyard in the 1920s. Its remains were recorded in 1929 and then classified in 2007 for their historical value.

The enclosure of the castle, which was partially aladen in the 1940s, preserves remarkable defensive elements: a rectangular châtelet with a breech and a herse, arches, and a round path. The quadrangular towers, added in bias on the ramparts in the 13th or 14th centuries, illustrate a distinctive regional technique. The site, although partially destroyed, offers a rare example of medieval military architecture, mixing Gallic, Romanesque and Gothic heritages.

According to Henri Bodin, the castle could date from the 11th century, its builders being inspired by the square towers of the Gallic poppidum on which it was erected. This hypothesis is supported by the figure of the dungeon, particularly well preserved, and by the arrangement of the ramparts. Subsequent excavations and studies, however, did not confirm with certainty such an ancient origin, leaving a doubt about its exact date.

Protected elements include the enclosure with its towers, remains of the barbacan, and soils, classified in 2007. The site, now in partial ruins, remains a key testimony of religious conflicts and architectural developments between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Its history also reflects social transformations from a seigneurial fortress to a farm before its heritage recognition in the 20th century.

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