Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Montrichard Castle, built in the early 11th century by Foulques Nerra, Count of Anjou, was originally a wooden tower designed to counter Eudes II of Blois. Confed to Roger the Devil, lord of Montrésor, he became a strategic point in the conflicts between Anjou and Blois. The fortress was enlarged in the 12th century by Hugues I of Amboise after its capture in 1109, marking the increasing autonomy of the lords of Amboise against the Counts of Anjou.

In 1188, Philip Auguste besieged and partially destroyed the castle, which nevertheless remained a key bastion for the Amboise family throughout the Middle Ages. Transferred by marriage to the Harcourts at the end of this period, he was exchanged in 1461 by Louis XI for other seigneuries, becoming part of the royal marriages of his daughters, Anne and Jeanne of France. During the Hundred Years' War, he suffered an English attack in 1356 during the riding of the Black Prince.

Architecturally, the castle stands on a ridge parallel to the Cher, with a 12th century square dungeon surrounded by a double enclosure. Its ruins, classified as a historical monument since 1877, dominate the medieval village at the foot of the fortress, testifying to its defensive and strategic role between Loire and Cher. The site monitored both a bridge (or a former ford) and the track between Blois and Loches, 35 km east of Tours.

Future

Visits all year round in combination with the city's museums, the Archaeological Museum and the Ethnology Museum.

External links