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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Prieuré de Charmant, also called château ou logis de la Vergne, is a medieval monument located in Boisné-La Tude, Charente. Although its exact origin remains mysterious, it is sometimes described as a former priory or a Templar Commandery, although no written evidence confirms this hypothesis. The nearby church, built in the 11th century, belonged to the cathedral chapter, suggesting an ancient religious occupation.

In the 13th century, a local legend evokes a possible Templar Commandery protecting pilgrimage routes, but this theory lacks reliable sources. The present building, dating from the late 16th century, belonged to the family of Fédic (or Feydicq), then to lords such as Jeanne Barreau and Bernard de Villoutrays. A leak, a seigneurial symbol, bears witness to its importance, with 340 bolts in the seventeenth century.

The house was transferred by marriage to the Bonnevin family in the 18th century, before being sold as a national good during the Revolution. Ranked a historic monument in 1925, it was restored in the 21st century for tourist purposes. The nearby church, classified in 1846, and remains of towers recall its defensive and religious past.

Architecturally, the building consists of three juxtaposed parts, with a corbelled turret, an arcade gallery, and a monumental staircase. The wall of the garden rests on the remains of two towers, highlighting its fortified character. The site, now highlighted, combines medieval heritage and Renaissance.

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