Property of the Chabannes 1496 (≈ 1496)
First noble family attested.
1506
Acquisition by Guillaume Tenon
Acquisition by Guillaume Tenon 1506 (≈ 1506)
Treasurer of France and royal councillor.
XVe siècle
Initial construction
Initial construction XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Building of the castle on Roman way.
1697
Erection in marquisat
Erection in marquisat 1697 (≈ 1697)
For François Menou de Charnisay.
2015
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 2015 (≈ 2015)
Comprehensive protection of the domain.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Château de Villiers, located close to the hamlet of Villiers: the castle in its entirety, including the floors, the chènevière, the filled ditches, the dormant bridge, the purpris and all the buildings and elevations that are there (walls, agricultural buildings, dovecot, defensive towers, chapel, logis, including chimneys, doors and wooden partitions) as well as the entire cadastral plate of plots ZI 54 to 57 (see cadastral plan annexed to the decree): inscription by decree of 2 March 2015
Key figures
Guillaume Tenon - Treasurer of France and king's adviser
Owner in 1506, royal figure.
François Menou de Charnisay - Marquis de Villiers in 1697
Turn the castle into a farm.
Origin and history
The Château de Villiers, located near the hamlet of the same name on the town of Menestreau (Nièvre), is a 15th and 16th century building built on a rectangular land surrounded by four round towers and a ditch, today filled. The ensemble includes a house, a chestnut, a gallery, a chapel, as well as agricultural communes and stables. Inside, 16th century wooden partitions remain, illustrating the architectural refinement of the period. The castle controlled an ancient Roman road leading to Entrains, highlighting its strategic role in the region.
Originally, the castle was erected on a fief-forming land with Nanvignes. In 1496 he belonged to the family of the Chabannes, before passing in 1506 to Guillaume Tenon, treasurer of France and adviser to the king. The latter marks a period of royal influence on the estate. In 1697, the fief was erected as a marquisat for the benefit of François Menou de Charnisay, who left the site to build the castle of Charnisay in Nanvignes, then turning Villiers into a farm. This change in usage reflects the evolution of the seigneurial and economic needs of the region.
The Château de Villiers has been listed as a Historic Monument since 2015, protecting all its buildings, including the filled ditches, the sleeping bridge, the walls, the agricultural buildings, the dovecote, the defensive towers, the chapel and the house with its wooden interior elements. This protection also covers the soil and cadastral plate of the plots concerned, preserving a major architectural and historical heritage of Burgundy-Franche-Comté.
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