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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Ligondeix, located at Le Ligondès on the town of Chambonchard (Creuse, Nouvelle-Aquitaine), is a medieval building dating back to the 13th century. At that time, the seigneury of the Ligondes, dependent on Deval chestnut, was under the authority of the Dukes of Bourbon. The Ligondes family, originally from Italy and settled in France around 1248, made it its main residence. The central house body, dated from the 14th century, is the oldest part of the castle.

In the 15th century, the castle underwent notable changes, including the construction of the square dungeon around 1443. This four-storey dungeon is flanked by a turret and crowned with a gallery of mâchicoulis on three sides. A bow and a scald, added during this "recapture", reinforce the defences of the third floor. Access to the tower was originally made on the first floor by an external staircase, a typical arrangement to facilitate defense against assaults.

During the French Revolution, the Marquis Georges du Ligondes, owner of the premises, emigrated, resulting in the sale of the castle in the 19th century. The building, consisting of a body of quadrangular houses and a building in return to square to the west, retains defensive elements such as a turret pierced by a cannonhole and a vaulted cellar illuminated by a murderer. The castle, partially renovated, was listed as historical monuments in 1962 for its facades and roofs.

The early entrance to the castle, probably equipped with a drawbridge, was located at the southern end of the building in return for square. The dungeon, originally conceived as a quadrangular dungeon with spurs in the 13th century, illustrates the architectural evolution of the site, combining residential and military functions. Today, the castle is on the edge of the regions of New Aquitaine and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, testifying to its history linked to noble families and medieval conflicts.

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