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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Manor House of Chandoiseau, formerly known as the Manor House or Champdoiseau, is a 15th-century building located in the commune of Trois-Moutiers (Vienna, New Aquitaine). It replaces an earlier construction of the 11th century, demolished to reuse its materials. The current manor, of quadrangular shape, is surrounded by ditches and has a central well. It was listed as a historical monument on February 6, 1929.

The first owners identified were the Odart, a family of horsemen from Loudunais in the 12th century. A younger branch owns Chandoiseau, while the older one holds Verrière. Jean Odart (1375–1459/60), adviser to Charles VII, was the last representative of this line. His daughter Isabeau married Raymond de Corguilleray, then the mansion passed into the hands of the Sainte-Marthe in the 16th century, notably Jacques (physicist of the kings Henry II to Henry III) and his brother Louis, a man of letters.

The mansion consists of a main house body, two towers (one round and one hexagonal with screw staircase), and sled windows. A private chapel, mentioned in 1545, was founded by a former lord. Traditionally, Joan d'Arc had stayed there in 1429. After centuries of decline, the mansion, transformed into a farm, was restored from 2006 by Antoine Richard.

The remarkable elements include four 15th-century chimneys, an overturned keel frame, and mâchicoulis on the southwest tower. The latrines, rebuilt in 2011, no longer correspond to the original state. The manor house, attached to the Mothe-Chandeniers estate in 1630, was sold as a national property in 1809 before being abandoned until its recent restoration.

Among the notable owners were Charlotte de la Haye (1501), François de Téligny, and the Sainte-Marthe, including Denis (1650–1725), Grand Prior of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Their extinction marks the decline of the mansion, which has become an agricultural dependency. The archives mention farm leases in the 17th and 18th centuries, reflecting its progressive agricultural use.

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