Château de Vaujours, Château-la-Vallière, France

The Château de Vaujours is a ruined castle from the 12th and 15th centuries, located in the commune of Château-la-Vallière.

Hugues I d'Alluye, living in 978, is the earliest known lord of chateau. The construction of the castle can be attributed to Hugues VI d'Alluye or to Rotron of Montfort, around 1250.

During the Hundred Years War, the fortress was never taken by the English. A major restoration was undertaken in the 15th century. Jean V de Bueil altered the defences such that they became impregnable. He died there in 1477. Louis XI stayed there during his visits to Anjou.

Under the Ancien Régime, the castle was bought by Louis XIV in 1666 and given in 1667 to his former mistress, Mademoiselle Louise de la Vallière; she became Duchesse de La Vallière et de Vaujours.

In the 18th century, Louise de la Vallière bequeathed it to the Davot family, who occupied the castle for a long period. The castle was abandoned during the French Revolution. In 1815, it was sold to Thomas Stanhope-Holland, who used it as a quarry. The site and castle are private property but offer guided-tours to the public.

Architecture

The castle, of typical military architecture, stands on a mound in the middle of a lake whose waters feed the moats which surround it. It is formed of two fortresses: a bailey to the west and the castle to the east.

The entry to the double enceinte is defended by two cylindrical towers and a flying bridge, flanked to the north by a bastion. A drawbridge and a postern flanked by a cylindrical tower to the north provide access to the courtyard. The residence is to the south, the ruins of the chapel to the north. To the east, the towers give access to a covered chemin de ronde and to the south the bastion connected to the fortress and a further building.

Inside the fortress the keep still exists, as does the lower courtyard. The enceinte includes several towers, some of which have rustication. The moats are drained and overgrown. The ruins have been cleared of vegetation and are surrounded by lawns and hedges.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Joerie van der Meer (7 months ago)
Best beautiful old ruin. Unfortunately, there is little to no space to park anywhere. You can actually only get there during an event.

MEES Kemper (6 years ago)
Beautiful castleruin in a beautiful setting. The owner is a very friendly man who provides a very interesting guided tour in both french and englisch. We try to go there every year!

Colin Browne (6 years ago)
Only got to see from outside as it was closed on arrival

David Holmes (7 years ago)
Excellent little visit of charming ruins with a lot of history, all explained by the passionate owner. Even a bit of shade in midafternoon, and you can just picture what it would be like if it were still surrounded by water!

Barbara Moss (7 years ago)
We were greeted by the very pleasant owner on arrival and it is his own efforts that has allowed us, the general public, to see such a magnificent evidence of history. It is beautiful! We could not believe that such places could be found because one person, Monsieur, has taken the care to preserve it and kindly, shares it with us. To imagine all that happened here..... We would not have missed this and fully recommend a visit to this Chateau de Vaujours. The owner speaks fluent English, though we are able to communicate in French, and we really cannot thank him enough for his kind hospitality. A most interesting visit and it has made a difference to our time in France. Thank you, Monsieur, for preserving this site.

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