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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Nazelles, located in the commune of Nazelles-Négron in the region Centre-Val de Loire, finds its origins in the 16th century under the impulse of Thomas Bohier, famous builder of Chenonceau castle. At that time, Bohier erected the seigneurial house, whose access was initially through a north door in the middle of a wall opening onto an inner courtyard. An exterior staircase, of which a wooden balcony remains, completed the whole. This monument is part of the ancient fief of the Cauzé de Nazelle, a noble family whose member, Jean-Charles du Cauzé de Nazelle, played a notable political role in the 17th century by denouncing the conspiracy of the knight of Rohan in 1674, which earned him the title of lieutenant of the Marshals of France for Guyenne.

In the 18th century, architectural changes were made, including the creation of a road in front of the south facade and the addition of a vaulted passage on the ground floor, extended by a square pavilion to the east. In 1825 a southern commune was added, partially modifying the original structure. The castle changed hands over the centuries: in the 19th century, it was inherited by Jeanne Debat-Ponsan, daughter of the painter Edward Debat-Ponsan and sister of the architect Jacques Debat-Ponsan, thus becoming one of the first French women doctors. Its heritage marks a transition to a more residential and cultural vocation.

Historically, the castle was linked to notable figures such as Louis-Charles-Victor du Cauzé de Nazelle, anoblied by Louis XV in 1753 with the title of Marquis. The facades, roofs, the dovecote and the main driveway (divised by communal road No. 10) are classified as Historical Monuments in 1963 for the external elements, then completed by an inscription in 1997 including the four pillars of the old gates. These protections highlight the heritage value of a Renaissance building, classical modifications and noble family heritages.

Historical sources also mention links with Saint Martin de Tours as early as the 5th century, when Nazelles belonged to the Abbey, before becoming a chestnutlia dependent on Azay-le-Rideau in the Middle Ages. In 1245, a knight named Philippe de Nazelles owned it, illustrating the medieval anchoring of the site before its Renaissance transformation. The castle thus embodies several historical strata, from the feudal period to the Renaissance, as well as the redevelopments of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Today, the castle of Nazelles is visited and retains traces of its past, such as the wooden balcony of the old outside staircase or the pavilions added in the eighteenth century. Its ranking among the Historical Monuments and its location in Touraine, close to other jewels like Chenonceau, make it a privileged witness to the architectural and social history of the Centre-Val de Loire region.

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