Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Centre Val-de-Loire
  4. Cher
  5. 18320 Menetou-Couture

  6. Castle Menetou-Couture

 Castle Menetou-Couture dans le Cher

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Donjons
Château fort
Cher

Castle Menetou-Couture

    Place du Donjon 
    18320 Menetou-Couture
Château de Menetou-Couture
Château de Menetou-Couture
Château de Menetou-Couture
Château de Menetou-Couture
Château de Menetou-Couture
Crédit photo : Manfred Heyde - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1400
1500
1600
…
1900
2000
1398
First fortified construction
milieu du XVe siècle
Construction of the current dungeon
1569
Partial dismantling
30 octobre 1917
Historical Monument
1939–1945
German occupation
1995
Open to the public
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Donjon: by decree of 30 October 1917; Facades and roofs of the two buildings covered with a broken roof attached to the dungeon in the middle of the 18th century, of the old circular corner tower and of the present house, adjoining the corner tower, including the stair tower (Box C 435): inscription by order of 6 July 1992

Key figures

Louis XI - King of France Stayed in 1482 on a pilgrimage.
Henri IV - King of France Stayed in 1597 after receiving cannons.
Marcellin de Guillon - Knight and Lord Provides arms to Henry IV in 1597.
Antoine de Guillon - Officer under Louis XIV Participated in the Thirty Years War.
Armand-Balthazar-Marcellin de Rolland d’Arbourse - Owner in the 19th century Worked on major restorations.
Raymond Poincaré - President of the Republic Signed the classification decree in 1917.

Origin and history

The castle of Menetou-Couture, located in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region, is an emblematic building built in the middle of the 15th century by the family of Villaines. Its dungeon, culminating at 38 meters with an imposing structure of 17.50 meters high, is surrounded by a park with centuries-old trees. This castle, originally conceived as an advanced place of Burgundy, depended on the lords of Nevers and the archdiocese of Bourges. Today, only the dungeon and a corner tower with a chapel remain, while the moats have been filled.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, auxiliary buildings, including a bakery, were joined to the dungeon, mitigating its original military aspect. The castle was partially dismantled in 1569 during the Wars of Religion by the troops of the Duke of the Two Bridges. In 1913, threatened with demolition, he was saved by a ranking under the Historical Monuments in 1917, signed by Raymond Poincaré. During World War II he served as German Kommandantur.

The castle has known several proprietary families, including the Villaines (XV century), the D-Anlezy, and then the Guillons (XVIth-15th centuries), an influential Berrichonne lineage. Marcellin de Guillon and his descendants, like Antoine de Guillon (officer under Louis XIV), marked his history. In the 19th century, the Rolland d'Arbourse undertook major restorations, before the estate was sold in 1908. Since 1995, the dungeon has been open to the public after major restoration work.

Among the historical figures related to the site, Louis XI stayed there in 1482 during a pilgrimage, and Henry IV was reportedly there in 1597 after receiving canons from the knight Marcellin de Guillon for the siege of Amiens. These Royal Visits highlight its strategic and political importance.

Architecturally, the rectangular dungeon, despite its obsolescence against the nascent artillery, symbolized seigneurial power. Its turrets house a staircase with screws and latrines, while the watchroom offers a view from a window decorated with pinacles. Recent restorations have preserved this testimony of the transitions between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum