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Origin and history

The medieval fortress of Yèvre-le-Châtel, located in the Loiret department in the Centre-Val de Loire region, is an ancient castle whose remains date mainly from the first quarter of the 13th century. Built on a castral motte east of Pithiviers, it occupied a strategic position between the Duchy of Orleans and Ile-de-France, on the road between Paris and Orléans. This site, classified as historical monuments since 1862, illustrates the architectural improvements reported from the crusades, such as the landfill arches strengthening its resistance to saplings.

As early as the 10th century, Yèvre-le-Châtel belonged to the abbey of Fleury, although Baron Arnoul de Yèvre and his successors often challenged its control. His wife, Lucinde, founded an abbey dedicated to Saint Gault to atone for her husband's abuses. The permanent attachment of the castle to the crown of France came about 1112, when Louis VI the Big S. took over to make it a royal chestnut. Reconstructed around 1200 under Philippe Auguste, the castle became a model of medieval military architecture, designed to resist the assaults and siege techniques of the period.

During the Hundred Years War, Yèvre-le-Châtel was one of the few strong places north of the Loire to escape the English and Bourguignons. His captain, Nicolas de Giresme, took an active part in the liberation of Orléans alongside Joan of Arc. However, with the extension of the royal domain and the evolution of artillery in the 15th century, the castle lost its defensive role. By 1610, an inventory described it as in ruins, although its dry moat and four semicircular towers still make it a remarkable site.

The castle benefited from two major restoration campaigns, first by volunteers between 1982 and 1984, and then from 1999 to 2002 under the aegis of the Association Chantiers Histoire et Architecture Médiévales, then by the Companions de la Châtellenie since 1994. Today, the site offers an exceptional panorama of Beauce, Gâtinais and Orléans forest. Its upper courtyard is home to squares of aromatic and medicinal plants, while its entrance chestnut, once equipped with a herse, recalls its past as a stunning fortress.

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