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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Nouvelle-Aquitaine
  4. Charente-Maritime
  5. 17600 Balanzac

  6. Castle of Balanzac

 Castle of Balanzac en Charente-Maritime

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château fort
Charente-Maritime

Castle of Balanzac

    10 Rue du Château
    17600 Balanzac
chateau de balanzac
Château de Balanzac

Timeline

Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1336
Seigneurial marriage
Début XVIe siècle
Initial construction
1652
Village refuge
Après 1703
Roof modification
16 avril 1957
First entry MH
4 octobre 1994
Extension of inscription MH
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Main facade and the two side façades of the castle, the corresponding roofs (Box D 4, 5): inscription by decree 16 April 1957; Castle, with its woodwork and gallery, the buildings of communes, the well, the enclosure with its towers and chapel, as well as the ground of the plot (Box D 5): inscription by order of 4 October 1994

Key figures

Jeanne d'Ars - Lady of Balanzac Daughter of Tombaud d'Ars, married Guillaume de Brémond in 1336.
Guillaume de Brémond - Lord of Balanzac Husband of Jeanne d'Ars in 1336.
Gombaud II ou III d'Ars - Lord of Ars and Balanzac Father of Jeanne d'Ars, quoted in 1336.

Origin and history

The castle of Balanzac, located in the eponymous village of Charente-Maritime (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), has its origins in the early 16th century, as evidenced by its schauguettes and its polygonal staircase tower. Its oval enclosure, punctuated with square towers and a chapel, reflects a defensive vocation attested from 1336 by seigneurial alliances, and then confirmed in 1652 when the local population took refuge. The modifications of the 18th century, such as the broken roof or interior woodwork, mark an evolution towards residential comfort.

The architecture of the castle combines military elements (mass foothills, corbelled turrets) and civilian amenities, such as the well covered with a stone dome in the centre of the courtyard. The central hexagonal tower, with a spiral staircase, illustrates the influence of the Renaissance houses, while the 18th century gallery, with semi-circle openings, reveals subsequent additions. The ensemble, inscribed in historical monuments in 1957 and 1994, also includes communes, a chapel and remains of fortifications.

The site is representative of the transformation of castles into seigneurial residences between the Middle Ages and the modern era. Its history is linked to noble families such as the Brémonds, mentioned in 1336 with the marriage of Jeanne d'Ars and Guillaume de Brémond, local lords. The modifications of the 17th and 18th centuries (slates replacing tiles, upholstery arrangements) underline the adaptation to the needs of comfort, while maintaining traces of its protective role for the village.

Ranked a historic monument for its facades, roofs and interior elements (woodworks, fireplaces), the castle of Balanzac also embodies the evolution of the rural defensive systems. Its enclosure, although partially preserved, and its 16th century chapel recall the strategic stakes of the region, while the 18th century commons bear witness to a more elaborate domestic organization, typical of the large houses of the Ancien Régime.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum