Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The château de la Bussière, located in Loches in Indre-et-Loire, has its origins in the 13th century, although major construction and restoration campaigns date back to the 15th, 16th and 19th centuries. The site, attested to as Buxariae from the 9th century, evokes a wooded area of boxwood, then attached to the Dolus-le-Sec viguerie. The present castle, structured around a body of central houses and two wings in return of square, preserves Gothic elements (gate in third point, scauguettes) and Renaissance (baths in the middle of the hangar, chapel decorated with medallions). A polygonal tower houses the staircase, while a 16th-century chapel, desecrated in the 19th century, was converted into a staircase.

The first mention of an owner dates back to 1235 with Aglantine de Palluau, daughter of the lord of Montrésor. The Mausabré family owned it from the middle of the 16th century to 1936, marking a long period of stability. In the 20th century, the castle changed hands several times, successively belonging to personalities such as Jean-Jacques Debout and Chantal Goya (1980-2000 years), and Chantal Bouvier de Lamotte (Miss France 1972). The facades and roofs, with the exception of a tower rebuilt in the 19th century, have been classified as Historic Monuments since 1975.

The architecture reflects various influences: the southern wing, Gothic, contrasts with the Renaissance openings of the main body. A cylindrical tower with machicoulis (southeast) and a neogothic tower (northeast, nineteenth century) frame the whole. The current symmetry, with an elevated pavilion and scalds added to the romantic era, differs from the original medieval arrangement. The site, close to the communal boundaries with Chanceaux-Près-Loches and Mouzay, is part of a valley dug by a temporary stream, highlighting its historic landscape anchor.

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