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Origin and history

Chabrot Castle is a medieval building located in the commune of Montbron in the Charente department, New Aquitaine. Built mainly in the 14th and 16th centuries, it consists of a rectangular house with a high roof in flat tiles, flanked by cylindrical turrets, and an isolated circular dungeon. The estate, crossed by the Tardoire, is close to Ferrières Castle, only 100 meters downstream. Its architecture reflects the defensive and residential features of the castles of that time.

The castle belonged to the Rousseau family, notably Jean Gédéon du Rousseau de Chabrot, mayor of Montbron in 1790. Two accesses lead to the castle: a passage to ford on the Tardoire and a path from the city. The interior façade features two superimposed galleries, one of which is made of wood, resting on broken arcades. The lower stone gallery supports the upper structure, typical of Renaissance developments.

The building was listed as historical monuments on 12 October 1973 for its facades, roofs, and the two northern galleries. The medieval dungeon, partially deconstructed, was completely restored in 2012. Today, the castle preserves defensive elements such as pepper towers and a murmured door overlooking a spiral staircase, testimony of its seigneurial past.

The communes, located in the north, once housed agricultural outbuildings. The massive and deconstructed West Tower could have served as a dungeon to an ancient castel. The site, although partially accessible, remains a remarkable example of Charentaise castral architecture, combining military and residential functions throughout the centuries.

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