Montbazon
The
castle is thought to have been built at the end of the tenth century by
Count Eudes Blois (d.996) and was besieged by the counts of Anjou in
1000, 1025, 1037 and 1117. In 1037, after seizing Saumur, Count
Fulk Nerra (d.1040) crossed the Vienne near Chinon on a bridge of boats
and besieged Montbason, then held by the men of Count Odo of Blois
(d.1037). Count Odo marched to the rescue of the castle and then
back to fight the Lotharingians at Bar-sur-l'Aube castle, where he was
killed. At this point Fulk againt attacked Montbazon and this
time took the castle, handing it to the custody of William Mirebeau.
In 1109 the baron of Preuilly also
besieged the castle. There is a motte some 1,600 feet to the south
of the fortress which may have been a siege castle
during one of these attacks. In 1205, after Normandy had fallen
to him, Philip Augustus gave the castle to the lord of Colombiers.
Description
Blocking
the south end of a ridge end site above the Indre stands the keep of
Montbazon castle. This rectangular keep, like so many in the
district, viz Montrichard, Loches
etc, appears to have begun life as a
hall with pilaster buttresses on the exposed south and west sides - of
which one is oddly rounded - and typical early round-headed windows on
the main floor. This was later heightened to
make a keep with fine twin-light round headed windows somewhat similar
to those at Goodrich castle.
There is herringbone masonry in the build.
The keep is protected to the south and west by a small ward with a
D shaped tower to the SW, somewhat similar to one at Brecon and a round turret to the SE. To the NW
is a fine forebuilding with good ashlar buttresses. The main
bailey to the north has been largely destroyed, although the platform
with some of the enceinte, somewhat remeniscent of Chinon, survives. All this is
supposed to
be twelfth century. Built on this is a later fifteenth century castle with
2 towers and
a gatehouse. There are also traces of the town wall, especially at the Porte de Moulins, just east of the keep.
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
