Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Thouaré, located in Thouaré-sur-Loire in Loire-Atlantique, finds its origins in the 10th century with a feudal motte, possibly built on the remains of a Gallo-Roman villa. The site, strategic along the Loire River, was occupied in the Bronze Age. In the 13th century, the knight Guillaume de Thouaré founded the seigneury and built the primitive castle, then linked to the Duchy of Brittany. The Castral chapel becomes the first parish church of Thouaré, around which the medieval village develops. The 10th century moat and Renaissance tower bear witness to this architectural evolution.

In the 17th century, the castle passed into the hands of Anne Descartes, half sister of René Descartes, who sold it in 1704 to the Mosnier family. During the Revolution, the monument was looted in 1792 after the death of Louis Mosnier and the emigration of his children. In the 19th century, industrialist Nicolas Sigisbert Cézard acquired the castle in 1864 or 1873, before it was sold to the Mathieu de Vienne family in 1880. The 15th century dovecote, a seigneurial symbol with its 1,189 niches, and the 19th century sling windows illustrate successive additions.

In 1565, the castle welcomed King Charles IX during his Grand Tour of France, received by Charles of Brittany and his wife. Ranked a historic monument in 1982 for its dovecote, the estate remains a private property, partially opened during Heritage Days. Its park with centuries-old trees, outbuildings ( stables, ancient presbytery) and composite facade reflect a thousand-year history, from the Middle Ages to the industrial era.

The successive owners, such as Gilles d'Elbiest (Flemish knight at the service of Jean V of Brittany) or Jeanne d'Ussé (who passed on chestnutry by marriage in 1343), mark his feudal history. The seigneury then passed to the families Saint-Amadour, d'Escoubleau, and Simiane de Gordes, before its acquisition by the Mosniers, then the Cezards. Today, the castle, although not visitable, is rented for private events, perpetuating its central role in the heritage of the Niger.

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