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Origin and history

The Castle of Ransanne, located in Soulignonne in Charente-Maritime, is an emblematic monument of the late 15th century. This seigneurial house is distinguished by its massive architecture, with a three-storey housing body covered with a two-slope roof. Its contrasting facades reflect its dual role: an austere facade, framed by two almost blind pepper towers, and another facade with a square staircase tower, the only entrance to the house. Four wharfs and chopsticks reinforce its defensive system, complemented by remains of ditches and marshes.

The history of the castle dates back at least to the 14th century, with Guillaume de Ransanne as the first known lord. In 1518 the fief obtained the right of high and low justice, as evidenced by the tribute given by Andrée de Ransanne to the king. The estate, registered with the Historic Monuments in 1991, includes a small building of communes quartered with scauguettes, a round pigeon-house, and elements of enclosures pierced by murderers. The interiors preserve 15th-century chimneys, while some bays, remodeled in the 18th century, combine girders and segmental arches.

The castle illustrates the evolution of seigneurial residences in Poitou-Charentes, combining residential and defensive functions. Its rectangular plan, round and square towers, as well as its defence elements (breeks, ditches) reflect the military concerns of the time. The estate, surrounded by wood and lawn, also preserves traces of its medieval agricultural organization, with a farm and rectangular communes. The remains of the surrounding marshes recall the strategic use of the landscape for site protection.

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