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Origin and history

The Breuil Castle, located in Bonneuil in Charente, is an emblematic monument of the French Renaissance, built between the late 15th century and 1535 according to the sources. Although its appearance evokes the 15th century, its sculptures and ornaments are clearly Renaissance. It is surrounded by moat fed by a stream, and its north facade is flanked by two cylindrical towers, while a polygonal tower houses a screw staircase decorated with a flamboyant Gothic door. Its architectural development is reflected in the well-decorated windows, the richly decorated windows and the Renaissance pilasters.

The first certified owners were the Ingrandes, especially Philippe d'Ingrandes, who reportedly occupied the premises between 1508 and 1532. The castle remained in the same family or its allies until 1919, moving from Xant to Le Roy de Lachèches after the marriage of Marie-Magdeleine Babin de Ranville in 1716. In 1919, Madame de Rancourt de Mimerand sold it to Mr Castillon du Perron, before it was acquired in the 1960s by Dr Brisset and his wife. Listed as historical monuments on 23 June 1952, the house was extended westward in the 18th century, imitating the original style.

The architecture of the castle reveals successive additions: the south facade, bordered by a terrace overlooking the moat, retains a line marking the stop of the first construction and the beginning of an extension. The central tower of this facade suggests an addition after the initial structure. The windows of the house, probably enlarged in the 18th century, contrast with the Gothic ornaments of the stair tower. The skylights, decorated with Renaissance shells, and the hooked gables highlight the mix of styles. According to historians, its construction dates back to 1500, 1520 or 1535, with an uncertain attribution to Philip of Ingrandes, also associated with the castle of Luchet.

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