Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Velors, mentioned as early as the 11th century in a charter, was a fief dependent on Cravant and Beaumont. It was briefly owned by the princes of Bourbon-Montpensier from 1598. The current building, built of brick and stone, dates mainly from the last quarter of the 15th century, with major changes in the 18th century, including the redesign of the southern facade made of stone.

The castle occupies a rectangular terrace lined with moat, with a main body flanked by a polygonal tower of stairs. Two wings in return of square frame a court of honour decorated with two square pavilions: one with a chapel decorated with 17th century polychromies, the other with a bathroom. A 16th century cylindrical escape and a 15th century corner turret complete the whole, while the commons, portals and chapel were restored or added between the 17th and 19th centuries.

Ranked a Historic Monument since November 19, 1949, the castle protects its facades, roofs, moats, and remarkable elements such as the south-east turret or the door to the north facade. The restoration of the chapel in 1980 revealed an exceptional polychrome decoration, reflecting the architectural and artistic evolution of the site over nearly six centuries.

Located in Indre-et-Loire, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, the castle illustrates feudal history and then seigneurial of the Touraine, between medium and modern times. Its terraced plan and successive developments reflect the adaptations of a noble residence to the defensive, residential and symbolic needs of its owners.

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