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Château de Léray à Saint-Pierre-d'Exideuil dans la Vienne

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château
Vienne

Château de Léray

    D105
    86400 Saint-Pierre-d'Exideuil
Private property
Château de Léray
Château de Léray
Château de Léray
Crédit photo : JLPC - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1389
Tribute to the Duke of Berry
1411
New seigneurial tribute
1572
Construction of the pigeon house
Fin XVIe siècle
Construction of the current castle
7 novembre 1932
Partial classification MH
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The facades and roofs of the main building with its corner turret, the entrance gate and the escape from the castle: inscription by decree of 7 November 1932

Key figures

Jean Jousserand - Lord of Leray Tribute to the Duke of Berry in 1389.
Pierre Huguet - Son of Jean Jousserand Tribute to Léray in 1411.
Duc de Berry - Suzerain and Count of Poitiers The tribute to the seigneury was received in 1389.
Jean de Torsay - Sénéchal du Poitou He received the tribute of Pierre Huguet in 1411.

Origin and history

The château de Léray, located in Saint-Pierre-d'Exideuil in the department of Vienna, finds its origins in a seigneury attested from the fourteenth century. In 1389 Jean Jousserand paid tribute to the Duke of Berry for the seigneury of Léray (or Layré), then attached to the county of Poitiers. A similar act was repeated in 1411 by his son Pierre Huguet in front of the senechal of Poitou, confirming the transmission of the fief. These tributes highlight the strategic importance of this territory under the Old Regime.

The present castle was built at the end of the 16th century on a rocky spur overlooking the Charente, marking a period of post-medieval architectural reconstruction. His dovecote, dated 1572, symbolizes his lord's high-justice status, while his "dog oven" — unique in Poitou — bears witness to refined cynegetic practices. These elements, combined with the corner turret of the house, reflect the prestige of a seigneurial residence adapted to Renaissance uses.

Partly classified as historical monuments since 7 November 1932, the Château de Léray owes its protection to its facades, roofs, entrance gate and dovecote. This inscription recognizes the heritage value of a building combining defensive, residential and symbolic functions, characteristic of the Poitevin castles of the XVI-17th century hinge. Sources also mention a precise location (GPS coordinates and Mérimée address), confirming its anchoring in the landscape of New Aquitaine.

External links