Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castral ensemble of Châtillon-sur-Indre found its origins in the ninth century, when Charles II the Chauve offered the motte and home of Châtillon to his faithful Haimon. This site, initially a castral motte, was strengthened between 1160 and 1185 under Henry II Plantagenet, king of England, which erected a powerful fortress including the cylindrical dungeon, the Tower of Caesar, and its polygonal shirt. This castle became a strategic issue during the conflicts between Henry II and Philip Auguste, notably after the meeting of the two kings in 1188. The fortress finally passed under royal control in 1205 after the conquest of the Touraine by Philippe Auguste.

In the 13th century, the castle was renovated under Philip III, with the construction of a seigneurial house from 1272, as well as a palace chapel on two levels, mentioned in 1280. Pierre de La Brosse, the chamberlain of Philip III, supervised this work before his disgrace in 1278. The structure was then used as a prison in the 15th century, and its military role gradually declined. In the 17th century, the castle was engaged to private lords, such as César de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, before being partially dismantled and sold as a national good after the Revolution.

The tower of Caesar, 18-metre high dungeon based on the rock, presents a unique architecture for the period: a dome vault on the underground level and thick walls of 3.10 meters at the base. Its shirt, dated from the 1150s, has 23 panels and an average diameter of 27 meters. Subsequent changes, such as the addition of a chimney in the 15th century or the partial destruction of the shirt in the 19th century, testify to its functional evolution, from medieval fortress to seigneurial residence and then to heritage symbol.

Ranked a Historic Monument, the site preserves remarkable elements, such as 13th-century wall paintings in the house, an unfinished 17th-century fortified gate, and remains of the north and east courtines. Excavations and restorations, especially in the 20th century, have made it possible to highlight this testimony of feudal struggles and the castral architecture of angeline and royal.

The castle was also an occasional place of residence for the kings of France, like Charles VIII in 1496, and served as a framework for political events, such as the exchange of the seigneury with Anne of Brittany in 1493. Its royal decline in the 16th century marked its passage into the hands of noble families, like the Amelot of Chaillou, until the Revolution.

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