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Origin and history

The castle of Pennevayre, located in Verneuil-sur-Vienne, is a building built at the end of the 15th century and renovated in the 16th century. It consists of a housing body framed by two pavilions to the north and a wing in return to the west, once completed by a round tower whose ripples are still visible. The north building, covered with hollow tiles, houses a kitchen and a bread oven on the ground floor, while the west wing retains the remains of a stone staircase with a core wall connecting the floors. Inside, the room called Louis XI, with its 15th century fireplace, and two 16th century rooms decorated with ground beams carved with leather motifs testify to its rich architectural past.

In 1463, the castle welcomed Louis XI during his journey between Limoges and Saint-Junien, an event marking his history. Originally owned by the family of Pennevayre, mentioned in 1212, he then moved to the Bermondet, then acquired in 1576 by Pierre Mauple, who probably added the west wing. In the 18th century, the castle, then delabrated, was transformed into a farm after its purchase in 1773 by Truol de Beaulieu, secretary of Turgot. The descriptions of the period described it as "an old castle for domestic servants", including agricultural outbuildings such as a wheat attic and a barn.

In the 20th century, the castle underwent notable changes, such as the lowering of the roof of the pavilion in 1955 for economic reasons, as well as the demolition of a south tower at an indefinite date. Purchased by the municipality of Verneuil-sur-Vienne in 1975, it has since been the subject of a gradual restoration of its cover and its main work. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1975 for its interior facades, roofs and fireplaces, it now retains the traces of its successive transformations, reflecting its evolution from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era.

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