Construction of the house-tour XVe-XVIe siècles (≈ 1650)
Medieval logis with Gitton coat of arms.
XVIIe siècle
Adding house is
Adding house is XVIIe siècle (≈ 1750)
Monumental staircase and carved fireplace.
1789
Construction of the leak
Construction of the leak 1789 (≈ 1789)
Pigeonmaker of 5094 bolts.
1989
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 1989 (≈ 1989)
Protection by ministerial decree.
début XXe siècle
A climax of mulass farming
A climax of mulass farming début XXe siècle (≈ 2004)
Stable barn dedicated to mules.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Logis 17th century; facades and roofs of the medieval house, the two stables and the bread oven; Pigeon; facades and roofs of the asinerie; vegetable garden; fence walls of the estate (cad. A 5-7): entry by order of 13 April 1989
Key figures
Famille Gitton - Presumed owner
Arms to the head of Malta.
Origin and history
The domain of the Grand Port of Vernoux-sur-Boutonne is an architectural complex registered with Historic Monuments since 1989. It consists of a rectangular enclosure flanked by round towers, originally protected by a piece of water. Inside, a house-tour dating from the 15th to 16th centuries dominates the courtyard, decorated with coats of arms to the head of Malta attributed to the Gitton family. This medieval house, rectangular, retains defensive elements and traces of a broken roof.
A second house, built in the seventeenth century, runs along the eastern front of the estate. It is distinguished by its carved doors, its refined architectural decor, a monumental staircase and an open fireplace. Agricultural outbuildings, still visible, include a bread oven, stables, barns and a 1789 (pigeon) run with 5094 bolts. Outside, a large barn and stable shows the flourishing mulassière activity of the estate at the beginning of the twentieth century, highlighting its economic role in the region.
The ensemble, protected by decree in 1989, covers various elements: facades and roofs of the houses, stables, bread oven, pigeon house, as well as the vegetable garden and fence walls. These vestiges illustrate the evolution of the site, from a defensive and seigneurial function to an agricultural and livestock centre, especially for mules. The accuracy of its location is estimated a priori satisfactory (note 6/10), according to Merimée data.
The estate reflects the architectural and social transformations between the Middle Ages and the modern era, with traces of the Gitton presence, a family probably linked to the Order of Malta. Its spatial organization, combining noble habitat, agricultural activities and defensive systems, makes it a characteristic example of the fortified rural areas of the Poitou-Charentes.
