Loudun
The fortress is claimed
to have been built by Fulk le Rechin (d.1114), if not Fulk Nerra
(d.1040). This mirrors claims made for
Loches, Montcontour and Montrichard.
Loudun and Mirebeau
came to Fulk from his mother, Adelaide
Vermandois, although one chronicle states that Fulk seized Mirebeau,
Loudun and Chinon from
Count Odo of Blois (d.1037) at the same time as he seized Saumur and Montsoreau
(Monsorellum).
Regardless of
this, in 1025, Fulk pledged homage to the
duke of Aquitaine for Loudun, additionally being granted Saintes for
this homage. Traditionally the castle, along with Chinon and Mirebeau, formed the
appendage of younger sons of the counts. In 1151 these
fortresses had been given to Geoffrey, the younger brother of King Henry II.
In 1156 Geoffrey rebelled and Henry besieged Chinon and Mirabau and
had Loudun surrendered to him after his brother made terms.
Sometime between then and 1185 Henry was at the castle when he granted
land to St Lazare of Fontrevaud. In 1173 the same 3 castles
caused a rift between Henry and his son the Young King Henry, when the
elder Henry wished the 3 castles to go to Prince John. Loudun
remained loyal to the elder Henry in the subsequent war. On
29 April 1199, Queen Eleanor was staying at the castle when she made an
agreement with Ralph Maleone, granting him back his fortress of
Talmont. This
was on her way back from the burial of her son,
King Richard I,
at Fontevraud on 21
April. The fortress was
finally dismantled in 1633 by Cardinal Richelieu.
In the Plantagenet era Loudun together with Angers,
Beaufort en Vallee,
Chinon, Saumur, Mirebeau and Bauge
formed the main castles of the lordship.
Similarly the castles of Cande, Craon and Chateau
Gontier
protected the N&W frontiers.
Description
Set
within the ruins of the Roman town walls
stands the irregular tower keep, roughly 28'x31' and 100' high.
Unusually the tower has 4 pilaster butresses on its
N&S walls, but only 3 on its E&W. It has
walls 6' thick and internally a
modern wooden staircase leads to the summit.
Similar
pillaster buttressed keeps exist at La
Roche-Posay,
Le Grand-Pressigny
and Moncontour.
Why not join me here and at other French
castles? Information on this and other tours can be found at Scholarly
Sojourns.
Copyright©2019
Paul Martin Remfry