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Origin and history

The Château de Couzières, located in Veigné in Indre-et-Loire, finds its origins in a medieval fortress called "Château Neuf", built during the reign of Charles VII. At the beginning of the 17th century, Hercules de Rohan-Montbazon undertook a major reconstruction, retaining only the two towers surrounding the main house body and adding a chapel pavilion. This castle became the scene of a notable political event: on September 5, 1619, Marie de Medici and her son Louis XIII met there for 14 days, under the mediation of the future cardinal of Richelieu and the Duke of Luynes, in a unsuccessful attempt to reconcile. Hercules de Rohan died there in 1654, and his daughter, Marie de Rohan, duchess of Chevreuse, stayed there several times after his political exile.

The architecture of the castle reflects its multiple transformations. The main facade, facing east-south-east, is framed by two conical roof towers, while the bay pierces date back to the seventeenth century. A basin in the courtyard of honour, decorated with the arms of François I, Claude de France and Louise de Savoie, bears witness to a construction prior to the sixteenth century. The commons, parallel to the main house, have a remarkable structure in the shape of a ship's hull. The park also houses a Renaissance cave, built around karst springs. Several elements of the castle and its outbuildings were listed as historical monuments in 1950, after being sold as emigrated property in 1796.

The Château de Couzières illustrates the architectural and political evolutions of the Touraine, from medieval wars to the intrigues of the court of the kings of France. His history is marked by influential figures such as the Rohan-Montbazon, whose legacy is mixed with that of the Valois and Bourbons. The 18th and 19th century changes, as well as the partial destruction of the wings in 1812, changed its appearance, but preserved traces of its prestigious past. Today, the site remains a testament to the historical and artistic dynamics of the Centre-Val de Loire region.

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