Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Cossoles, located in Chevilly in the Loiret, finds its origins in the Middle Ages as a fortress defending the forest of Orléans (then called the Loge forest). The remains of the old castle are now limited to marshes marking the location of the ditches. An inventory of the early 20th century evokes its disappearance in favour of a "beautiful mansion", now called the Castle of Cossoles. The lands, dependent on the parish of Saint-Germain d'Andeglou, were partially ceded to the Orléana abbeys (Saint-Euverte) between the 12th and 13th centuries.

The current construction dates from the 18th century, with enlargements in the 19th century (high square floor). The estate was a seigneurial centre run by noble families (Bombel, Courcelles, La Tour d'Auvergne) and religious orders. At the Revolution, Alexandre François de Tournay was the lord, followed by owners such as the Nail Demelette or the Binoche (since 1964). The castle also includes a chapel built in 1866 by the Viscount of Courcelles, as well as a windmill now extinct.

The archives reveal a variety of economic activities: land sales (1874 for 231 hectares), forestry (woodcuts in 1875, 1890), and agriculture (leased farms, sheep farming). The estate was also a filming venue in 2015 for the film D的une pierre deux coups. The names of the castle (Cossoles, Cossolles, Grand Cossoles) reflect its historical evolution, linked to both the local nobility and the Orléan religious institutions.

Among the notable owners, Jean de Bombel (17th century), the Viscountess of Courcelles (XIXe), or Émile Nail Demelette (1896) shaped his history. Personalities such as writer Henri De Cossoles (pseudo de P.H. Gréard) or Hippolyte de Cossoles are associated. The site, now owned by the Binoche family, preserves traces of its medieval, seigneurial and agricultural past, while being part of the heritage of the Loiret castles.

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