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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The mansion of Vonnes, located in Pont-de-Ruan (Indre-et-Loire), was built around 1615 for Horace Desjardins, Mayor of Tours and owner of the Château de Méré. This building, typical of the early 17th century, consists of a body of houses flanked by two pavilions, with a top illuminated by skylights decorated with shingles. Although partially unfinished (unused roads, missing skylights), it illustrates the aristocratic residential architecture of the time.

The fief de Vonnes, attested as early as 1108 under the name of La Roche de Vonnes, passed into the hands of several noble families, including the Berruyers (XVth–XVIth centuries) and the Desjardinss (XVIIth century). In 1666 Jacques Desjardins inherited the mansion, followed by Hippolyte Desjardins in 1682. In the 18th century, it changed owners (Le Bardou family, then Le Breton) and became a farm after its openings were walled in 1822, probably to reduce taxes on doors and windows.

Ranked a historic monument in 1943, the mansion was restored from 1939. He is also known for having inspired Honoré de Balzac, who describes him as Clochegourde in Le Lys in the valley. Its architecture, marked by pediment windows and carved consoles, makes it a remarkable testimony of the Tourangeau heritage.

The location of the mansion, on a hilltop overlooking Indre, reinforces its picturesque character. Close to Azay-le-Rideau and Saché, it is part of a historical landscape linked to the local nobility and the cultural life of the Touraine, thanks to its association with Balzac and the aristocratic families who owned it.

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