Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Chénier, located in Cheillé in Indre-et-Loire, is a building whose origins date back to the 16th century, with major expansions in the 17th century. The main body of the building, dated from the 16th century, is distinguished by its skylights adorned with carved rubble and its stone crosses. A cylindrical tower, a vestige of the original fortified enclosure, is connected to the castle by a more recent servitude building. The entrance door in the middle of the hangar, surrounded by square pavilions, gives access to a courtyard surrounded by commons and outbuildings, some of which date back to the seventeenth century.

Over the centuries, the castle has changed hands several times. In 1314 he belonged to Étienne the Duke, then passed between those of noble families such as Bergnac, Brizay, and Balan. In 1556, Claude Le Goux handed him over to Louis de Fontenay, before he returned to the Le Goux, then sold in 1575 to Jehan Tardif, the future mayor of Tours. The Tardif family kept it until the Revolution, with Charles Tardif de Chéniers as last seigneur, present at the assembly of the nobility of Touraine in 1789.

The castle is partly listed as historical monuments in two stages: the facades, roofs, and the entrance door are protected in 1957, followed in 1964 by the chapel, the round tower, and the communes. The moat, once characteristic of the site, has now disappeared, filled over time. The ensemble illustrates the architectural evolution between Renaissance and classical period, while testifying to the feudal and seigneurial history of the Touraine.

The openings of the façades, modified in the 17th century, as well as the addition of a north pavilion and a chapel, reflect the successive adaptations of the building. The fieffed sergeant's headquarters emphasized its local importance, while the partially modern servitude buildings and commons complemented a defensive and residential complex. Today, the castle remains a marked example of the architectural and historical heritage of Indre-et-Loire.

External links