Initial construction Moyen Âge (≈ 1125)
Two bodies of built medieval buildings.
XVe siècle
Rare painted decorations
Rare painted decorations XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Farandole and painted religious scenes.
XVIe siècle
Addition of the Annunciation
Addition of the Annunciation XVIe siècle (≈ 1650)
Wall painting in a nearby room.
XVIIIe siècle
Construction master house
Construction master house XVIIIe siècle (≈ 1850)
Transformation into medieval outbuildings.
14 janvier 1994
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 14 janvier 1994 (≈ 1994)
Protection of medieval facades and buildings.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The two bodies of the medieval building; façades of the 18th century building body (Box ZH 32): inscription by decree of 14 January 1994
Origin and history
The House of Varennes, located in Montlouis in the Cher, is a historical monument composed of two bodies of perpendicular buildings dating from the Middle Ages and an 18th century mansion. The medieval structure, deeply transformed, retains traces of its origin, although its original plan is difficult to reconstruct. The remaining parts of the medieval manor house appear to have been integrated as outbuildings of the new house, after a possible stalemate of the walls.
The medieval building houses two rooms decorated with exceptional painted decorations. In the main room, a farandole animated by a bagpipe player illustrates the theme of the sotties of Tuesday gras, while a Virgin of Mercy and an Annunciation, probably from the sixteenth century, adorn the walls of a nearby room. These paintings, rare by their iconography, combine secular and religious scenes, reflecting the cultural and artistic traditions of the time.
Classified as a Historical Monument in 1994, the House of Varennes specifically protects the two bodies of medieval buildings and the facades of the eighteenth century. Its present state is the result of successive transformations, reflecting an architectural adaptation between medieval and modern times. The precise location, although documented, remains approximate according to available sources, with an address associated with the place called Varennes in the commune of Montlouis.
