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Origin and history

The castle of Meillant, attested from the 11th century, was originally built as a fortress by Stephen II of Sancerre in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Two bodies of rectangular houses, framing a courtyard protected by ditches fed by winternon, remain from this period. The ramparts and moat, which disappeared in the 18th century, completed the defensive enclosure.

In the 15th century, the Amboise family undertook a major reconstruction between 1473 and 1510. Charles I of Amboise and his son Charles II, under the supervision of Cardinal d'Amboise, built the central house body, the chapel and the tower of the Lion, marked by a staircase with screws and an exuberant decoration of flamboyant Gothic style evolving towards Louis XII. The motto Milan made Meillant, attributed to Cardinal Bibbiena, illustrates the financing of the works by the Italian riches of Charles II, governor of Milan.

The castle underwent modifications in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the disappearance of the north gallery and the suppression of one floor. In 1842, architect Louis Lenormand carried out an ambitious restoration for the Duke of Mortemart: reconstruction of the upper floors of the east house, round roads, roofs and exterior carved decoration. Ranked a historic monument in 1926 and 1963, Meillant now combines medieval heritage and neo-Gothic interventions.

The families succeeded each other as owners: from the Sancerres (XI-14th centuries) to the Amboise (XVth-14th centuries), then to the Rochefoucauld, Brichanteau, and finally to the Bethune-Charost. In 1857, the Duchess of Charost offered the castle to her niece Virginie de Sainte-Aldegonde, wife of the Duke of Mortemart, whose descendants still owned it.

The architecture of Meillant reflects its evolution: medieval circular towers contrast with the square forebody of the late 15th century. The facade on the courtyard, especially the Lion Tower, concentrates the most remarkable decorations, while the 19th century restorations, such as the Carrée Tower or the stair turret, complete the ensemble in a neo-Gothic style.

The initial plan, close to that of the castle of Sagonne, bears witness to the influence of the family of Sancerre. The works of the Amboise, inspired by the Palais Jacques-Coeur in Bourges, mark the transition between Gothic and Renaissance. Despite the disappearance of the West Gallery, the remains of the park and the drawings of Claude Chastillon (early 17th) allow us to imagine the original aspect of this seigneurial residence.

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