Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of La Chapelle-Bertrand, erected in the second half of the 15th century, embodies the military and seigneurial architecture of this period. Its facade, flanked by two round towers and a polygonal gable window tower, reveals typical defensive and residential elements. A broken arched door, surmounted by a coat of arms, gives access to a spiral staircase serving rooms with monumental chimneys. The whole, partially collapsed (northeast tower in 1998), was registered with the ISMH in 1929 and then ranked in 1991, before its surroundings and commons were protected in 2004.

The estate, originally linked to the Normandin family (XIVth century), passed to the Escoubleau de Sourdis in 1549 via the marriage of Madeleine de Melun with François d'Escoubleau. The castle then changed hands on several occasions: sold in 1776 to the Poignand de Lorgère, it echoed by inheritance to the d'Auberi in the 19th century, then to the Count of La Bérurière de Saint-Laon in 1967. Acquired in 2001 by Mr. and Mrs. Joël Will, it has since been the subject of restorations and openings to the public, with a first edition in August 2002.

The castle is part of a complete seigneurial complex, including a courtyard closed by walls, 15th century commons ( stables, bakery), and subsequent outbuildings like a 19th century pig-house. Its entrance porch, integrated into a square tower, and its historic garden testify to its evolution over the centuries. The collapsed northeast tower recalls the challenges of its preservation, while its ranking and ongoing work underscore its heritage importance.

The history of the castle is also linked to prominent local figures: Alphonse d'Auberi, a light horse of Louis XVIII during his exile in Ghent (1815), participated in the caulianry alongside Louis de La Rochejaquelein. The last heir, Louise-Radegonde d'Auberi, bequeathed the estate in 1967 after donations to religious institutions, sealing its modern destiny.

Architecturally, the castle is distinguished by its sill windows protected by iron grilles, its spiral staircase, and its vaulted rooms. The round towers at the ends of the façade, typical of the fortresses of the late Middle Ages, contrast with the central polygonal tower, more decorated. Together, although weakened, remains a rare testimony of the art of building between the 15th and 16th centuries in Poitou.

Since 2001, the current owners have been working on its restoration and its openness to the public, with the aim of enhancing this heritage. The work, begun in September 2002, aims to stabilize the structures and make accessible a monument with a mingled seigneurial history, defensive architecture and rural life, in a preserved setting of New Aquitaine.

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