Medieval origins XIIe siècle (≈ 1250)
First mention of a fortified farmhouse.
Fin XVIe siècle
Renaissance reconstruction
Renaissance reconstruction Fin XVIe siècle (≈ 1695)
Addition of round towers and well.
11 mars 1935
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 11 mars 1935 (≈ 1935)
Official registration of protected items.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Château de Montgarnaud : inscription by order of 11 March 1935
Key figures
Prévôt de Saint-Benoît - Initial owner
Owned the old farmhouse before reconstruction.
Francis Pérot - Local historian (XIXe s.)
Studyed the lords of the castle (1888).
Origin and history
The Château de Montgarnaud, located in Parnac in Indre (Centre-Val de Loire region), is a monument dating back to the 12th and 16th centuries. The available sources mention various architectural elements, including a square tower, moats, a stone bridge, and two later round towers. Once a dovecot, with a lantern with eight curved openings, was used as a dovecot, while a 16th-century well remains today.
According to the archives, the castle originally belonged to the provost of Saint-Benoît and was rebuilt at the end of the sixteenth century. The current structure, classified as Historic Monument since 1935, combines medieval features (doves, square tower) and Renaissance additions (round towers, decorated well). The documents of the 19th century, like those of Francis Pérot (1888), evoke his successive lords, but few precise details of their identity or actions are accessible.
The sources point to a geographical confusion: some references place the castle in Neuvy (Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), while the official data (Mérimée database) clearly place it in Parnac (Indre, Centre-Val de Loire). This duality may reflect historical errors or homonymies between buildings. The site, partially open to the visit, retains a defensive and residential character, typical of Bourbonese and Berrichonne genthommières.
