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Origin and history

The Château du Grand-Besse, located in the commune of Saint-Maur (Cher), is located at the historical limit between the Bourbonnais and the Berry, in an enclave that explains its geographical position. A Roman way, partly confused with the path of Saint-Christophe, passed south of the castle, linking Châteaumeillant to Néris. This ancient road environment may have influenced its strategic location.

The monument is sometimes mentioned as Besse aux Lards in 1580, without the origin of this name being clear. A certain Jean Rougier de Besse is attested in 1432, potentially linked to its construction, although the square dungeon, typical of the early 15th century, suggests an older origin. The castle then changed hands on several occasions: it belonged successively to local lords such as Savary (maréchal sieur de Besse), Martin (avocado and échevin de Bourges in 1507-1508), and then to Pélagie de Villeboucher, who passed it on to his grandson François d'Assy. The latter sold it in 1662 to Étienne Ragon, general farmer, marking his decline as an old mansion.

The current architecture mixes medieval elements with later additions. The square dungeon, with its sled windows, dominates the remains of a missing enclosure, including a round tower, a wall section and a water ditch. A lintel door decorated with a shield, a round staircase tower and a 17th century house (arranged in the 19th century with a neo-Gothic turret) complete the whole. The farm buildings and the greenhouse, decorated with chains alternating brick and stone, show further transformations.

The property then passed into the hands of Guillaume Thabaud (aved in 1714), then by inheritance to Boucheron de Boisvignault (1784-1786). In the 19th century, it was sold to Julien Arthur Gohin (1843), before being acquired by the Count of Boissieu and his wife. These changes of ownership reflect its evolution from a medieval fortress to a seigneurial residence and then to an agricultural estate.

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