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Origin and history

Blancafort Castle, located in the eponymous village of Cher in the Centre-Val de Loire region, has its origins at the end of the 15th century. It was built after 1475 for François de Boucard and his wife Marguerite de Cugnac, on an earlier site occupied by an older fortress, probably made of wood and land. This first castle, typical of the military architecture of its time, presented a quadrangular plan containing towers and a quadrangular dungeon projected forward, adorned with black bricks forming diamond, a style widespread in Sologne and in the Berry around 1500. The dry moats and the drawbridge, now missing, complemented this defensive device more symbolic than effective.

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Claude de Faucon, master of the hotel of Queen Marie de Medici and treasurer of France at Moulins, acquired the castle in 1619 after its seizure by Parliament. He undertook major changes, including the creation of a courtyard of honour with an open gallery and two Louis XIII pavilions, as well as the piercing of large windows on the southern façade, reflecting the architectural style of the period. These developments are reminiscent of those of the new town of Henrichemont, built by Sully, and mark a transition to a residence more adapted to the aristocratic uses of the seventeenth century.

The castle changes hands several times over the centuries. In the 18th century, it was acquired by the Durani family, some of whom were mayors of Blancafort. Claude-François de Duranti, Count and member of the financial administration at Versailles, even planned to destroy it entirely in order to rebuild it, but only the southeast tower, the top of the west tower and part of the gallery were finally modified and then restored to the same name by his successors. The gable of the early entrance is transformed into a sprocket, showing the architectural adaptations of the 19th century.

During the Second World War, the castle was occupied by the Germans, who destroyed a large part of its charter, now kept in the Departmental Archives of the Cher. Ranked a historic monument in 1926, it was bought in 1963 by Baroness Cramer, who undertook a major restoration, including interiors and French gardens. In 1983, his grandson, Count Alban de Montjou, inherited the castle at the age of 18 and transformed it into a place of visit, reception and shooting. Despite an auction attempt in 2017, the castle remains a major architectural and historical testimony of the Berry.

The seigneurial origins of Blancafort date back to the 11th century, with the first mention of a lord, Garnier, in 1064. The seigneury then passed into the hands of several families, including the Boucards in the 14th century, through the marriage of Agnes de Blancafort with Jean de Boucard. This lineage deeply marks the history of the castle, notably with François de Boucard and Marguerite de Cugnac, sponsors of the current building. The Wars of Religion saw the castle taken twice by the Reformers (1568 and 1575), before being taken over in 1577 by the Baron of Saint-Rémy, chamberlain of the Duke of Alençon.

The architecture of the castle reflects these historical strata: the 15th century dungeon, symbol of seigneurial power, contrasts with the classic 17th century developments, while the 19th and 20th century restorations preserve this heritage. Today, Blancafort embodies both a medieval heritage, an aristocratic residence and a place of memory, marked by religious conflicts, architectural transformations and contemporary conservation efforts.

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