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Origin and history

The Château de Montreuil-en-Touraine, located in the department of Indre-et-Loire, finds its origins in the Middle Ages as a strong house dependent on the Barony of Vernou. A first building, partly made of wood, is attested by archaeological remains (coals of wood found 2 meters deep). The present castle, built mainly in the 15th century, preserves a vaulted cellar and defensive elements like moat still visible on the south and west side. He initially reported to the Archbishops of Tours, reflecting his local strategic importance.

In the 16th century, the castle underwent modifications to strengthen its defence, with a clogged gothic door and a new monumental entrance pierced (style late 16th–early 17th century). The windows then adopt rounded wooden bundles with square cabochons, typical of the seventeenth century. Inside, two monumental chimneys and a wooden staircase with balusters (classified in 1974) testify to this period. The estate, confiscated during the Revolution as a national property in 1794, was sold to a former farmer, Jean-François Lemarie, already in poor condition.

The 19th century marked an accelerated decline: the house, ruined, was partially used as a barn by the Lemarie and Hogou families. In 1976, a real estate civil society acquired the castle, but the collapse of the roof in 1980-1981 worsened its deterioration. Saved in 1989 by the commune of Montreuil-en-Touraine, the site has since benefited from conservation efforts carried out by a local association (created in 1990), with animations such as Fête du Pain and restoration workshops. The moat, partially filled, are still filled with heavy rains.

The architecture of the castle reveals a rectangular plan with traces of medieval defenses. The east façade, with a rounded gable, has lost its original slate roof. The 1794 sales report describes a "old building carcass" surrounded by moat and accessible by a wooden bridge. Inside, the rooms preserve period tiles and beams, while the fireplaces and stairway (17th century) illustrate post-medieval transformations. The site, now communal property, remains a fragile testimony of the Tourangelle seigneurial history.

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