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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Chevenon, built between 1382 and 1406, was inspired by royal fortresses such as Vincennes, under the impulse of William I of Chevenon, captain of the dungeon of Vincennes for kings Charles V and Charles VI. His son, Jehan de Chevenon, accumulated a huge fortune thanks to royal favours, making the family one of the most powerful in Nivernais. The castle, square plan with double enclosures and round towers, symbolizes the military and economic power of its lords.

In the 18th century, the defensive ensemble, in ruins, was demolished by Mathieu Bernard Gondin (owner since 1766), king's adviser. Turned into a farm in the 19th century, the castle threatened to ruin until its acquisition in 1848 by Frédéric Girerd, MP for Nièvre and future minister, under the pressure of George Sand. Girerd saves the medieval home, today marked by its crenellated towers, its archeries, and its interior arrangements (room of appartment, armored fireplaces).

The current architecture combines defensive elements (herse, assumer, round road) and seigneurial comfort (drilled windows, latrines, stair turrets). The arms of the Girard, La Platier and Jean de Clamecy families adorn the ceilings, while graffiti of "ladies cloistered" remain on the walls. The 25-metre hors-oeuvre tower, with its spiral staircase and alert acoustic duct, bears witness to medieval military ingenuity. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1946, the site also preserves a dovecote and remains of a chapel.

Successive owners, such as Henry Antoine de la Grange d'Arquian (17th century) or the married Bardin (1940), marked his history. Today, the castle illustrates the evolution of fortresses in aristocratic residences, between warrior heritage and residential adaptations, in a Nivernais marked by great seigneurial domains.

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