Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The fortified house of Montaneume, located on the road of the Courbette in Pierrefitte at Poil (Nièvre), is mentioned for the first time in 1365. Paleo-environmental research attests to a continuous human occupation from the 9th to the 13th century. In medieval times, this type of construction served as a fortified refuge for local lords and their dependents, in a rural context marked by insecurity and feudal conflicts.

In the 19th century, the vestiges of Montanteau were already reduced to a tower in ruins, of which today only a platform of quadrangular earth of about 20 meters side, girded by a ditch. The map of Cassini from the 18th century places Montanteau at the site of a pond today dried up, highlighting its integration into a landscape of wetlands and wooded reliefs typical of Morvan. No in-depth archaeological excavations made it possible to specify his internal organization or his exact role in the local seigneury.

The site is ranked among the "threats to be safeguarded" by the Morvan Regional Natural Park in 2015, alongside other remains such as the Mousseau Wood Stone. Its gradual abandonment reflects the decline of strong houses in favour of larger and comfortable castles, such as those of Ettevaux or Concley, built by the local aristocracy between the 17th and 19th centuries. As a result, the transition between medieval defensive structures and modern seigneurial residences in Morvan is illustrated.

Poil, where Vanteume is located, was a rural commune dominated by a handful of noble families with up to 1,000 hectares of land. These lords, like the Bodin de Galembert, controlled both land and political power until the 20th century. The strong house is part of this hierarchical system, where farmers and day-to-days depend entirely on landowners for their housing and subsistence.

Unlike the nearby castles, Monteraume has never been rebuilt or transformed into a residence of pleasure. Its state of vestige reflects the evolution of defensive needs and the movement of power centres to more accessible sites, such as the town of Poil or the surrounding valleys. The rare historical records bind him to local lords, including Étienne de Montanteume, godfather of a bell of the Saint-Romain church in 1633, suggesting a continuing link between this family and the territory.

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