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Origin and history

The house of Breuil-Malicorn, located in Aigonnay (Deux-Sèvres), is an architectural complex built between the 2nd half of the 16th century and the 1st half of the 17th century. Organised around a polygonal courtyard, it includes a three-span central body, flanked by two lower lateral wings. The facade retains a base of schauguette, while cannon guns remain in the walls of the outbuildings (woodworks and barn). The materials used – limestone rubble and stone for frames – reflect the local techniques of the time. Inside, a spiral staircase serves the floors, and remains of painted decorations remind its residential use.

The history of the estate dates back to at least 1430, when the name Malicorne appeared with the marriage of Andrée de Varèze and Guy de Chourses, lord of Malicorne, also holder of the fiefs of Magné, Mons and Châteauneuf. The Malicorn Breuil was probably linked to the nearby Breuil d'Aigonnay fief before being separated. In 1560, a pre-existing house was mentioned, and elements such as stone chimneys or curved doors date back to that period. The estate changed hands: in 1698 it was owned by Simon de la Mourlonnière and des Anges (250 pounds fief), distinct from Breuil d'Aigonnay (400 pounds, owned by the Chalmot family). Between 1804 and 1840, he belonged to the Horse of Boiragon, before being designated as a farmhouse on the cadastre of 1819.

Defensive traces (cannons, scallops) suggest a mixed function, both seigneurial residence and protected place. Agricultural outbuildings (grange, oven) attest to an autonomous farm, typical of the rural manors of the period. The inscription in the Historical Monuments in 1990 underscores its heritage interest, notably for its plan in a closed courtyard and its preserved architectural elements (scaling, painted decorations).

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