Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Purnon, located in Verrue in Vienna (New Aquitaine), finds its origins in the seigneury attested from the thirteenth century, owned by the family of Bueil. Antoine de Bueil (1440-1506) inherited through his mother, Anne de Montejehan. In the 17th century, Claude Bonneau, chamberlain of Philippe d'Orléans, became his lord. The present neo-classical castle was built between 1771 and 1791 for Antoine-Charles Achard, Marquis de la Haye, colonel of the King's armies. His architect, long mysterious, is now identified as Laurent Bourgeois (1728-1808), active in Touraine after working at the Château de Limours. The materials come partly from the ruins of Brisay Castle, located opposite.

The ensemble includes a housing body in the shape of H, surrounded by dry ditches on three sides, and two large commons housing a chapel, stables, bakery and laundry. The structure, inspired by Philibert Delorme's models, and the tuffeau stone facades give the castle a "majest" greeted by historian René Crozet. In 1876, the estate was acquired by Daniel Jérôme Robineau, marquis de Rochequairie, whose coat of arms still adorn the cellars. A Bollée wind turbine, installed in 1900 to feed the vegetable garden and the castle, bears witness to the technical innovations of the period.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1995 (castle, commons, moat and entrance gate), the estate was fully registered in 2023. Since 2020, it has been owned by new owners engaged in its restoration, supported by the Heritage Foundation as part of the "Heritage Mission". The chief architect of the Historical Monuments, Frédéric Didier, oversees the works. The chapel, classified for its bell of 1661 and its statues (including Saint Achard, patronymic of the Marquis sponsor), as well as the windows and paintings, enrich its artistic heritage.

The 10-hectare English park, crossed by a 3-km hunting alley leading to the Scévolles Forest, completes this remarkable area. The archives reveal plans signed by Bourgeois in 1781, mentioning the entrepreneur Loubière. In 2022, the castle was selected from among the priority sites of the heritage mission, marking a new stage in its preservation.

The communes also house traces of former owners, such as the terracotta coat of arms of the Rochequairie family. The wind turbine, 258th out of 372 recorded, is a rare vestige of the hydraulic systems of the early 20th century. Its protection was reinforced by the classification of the castle. Finally, photographers such as Gustave William Lemaire (1900-1920) and Marcel Maillard (1942) immortalized the estate, demonstrating its lasting appeal.

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