Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Palluau-sur-Indre, mentioned in 1073 under Foulques IV d'Anjou, was a strategic issue between Plantagenets and Capetians in the 12th and 13th centuries. Ruined during the Hundred Years' War (fired in 1356 by the Black Prince), it was rebuilt in the 15th-XVIth centuries by the families Tranchelion and then Brachet, who modernized its defences and chapel, classified for its 17th century murals.

Acquired in 1606 by Antoine de Buade, companion of Henry IV, the castle became a county in 1622 for the Buade de Frontenac, including Louis, future governor of New France. From Beauvilliers to Montbel (18th century), he retained his prestige until the 20th century. Its architecture reflects successive transformations, from medieval ramparts to Renaissance developments.

The Sainte-Madeleine castral chapel, decorated with frescoes commissioned in 1630 by Anne Phélypeaux, illustrates the artistic influence of the local lords. Ranked a historic monument in 1944 for its facades, roofs and painted decorations, the castle was briefly owned by the designer Paco Rabanne (1970-1983). Its rocky spur overlooking Indre makes it a major witness to the feudal and seigneurial history of Lower Berry.

The site, linked to figures such as Audouin Chauveron (prevôt de Paris, seigneur de la Motte-sur-Indre) or Jean-Louis Franquelin (cartographer born in Palluau), embodies the power struggles between Anjou, Touraine and Limousin. The excavations and archives also reveal its role in the nobiliary networks, from the Tranchelion (14th century) to the Montbel (18th century), which shaped its destiny between war, reconstruction and cultural prestige.

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