Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of the Plessis, located in La Celle-Condé in the Cher, is a gentilhommière built in the 15th century. The building adopts a rectangular plan, with a ground floor and a floor topped by a sharp structural roof. Its north and south facades are marked by two central circular towers, while the side gables are flanked by small scallops on crowlets, covered with peppers. These scallops, typical of medieval defensive architecture, have arches, highlighting their initial role of surveillance.

The western façade is distinguished by a tympanum entrance door, decorated with a concave triangular moulding with a hammered shield, a symbol erased from an old coat of arms. Inside, the screw staircase, mixing stone and wood, testifies to the construction techniques of the era. Although the interior decor was redesigned in the 17th and 19th centuries, original elements remain, such as the 15th century hooded fireplaces, beams and solvages, thus preserving part of the medieval authenticity of the place.

Ranked a Historic Monument by decree of 27 September 1948, the castle of the Plessis protects its facades, roofs and interiors (castre D 75). This status underlines its heritage importance, despite a geographical location deemed "a priori satisfactory" (note 6/10). The site, photographed under the Creative Commons license by Touffun, remains a remarkable example of medieval civil architecture in Berry, a region now integrated into the Centre-Val de Loire.

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