Name -
Chateau de Montaigut le Blanc
Location -
Montaigut le Blanc
Department -
Creuse 23
State -
Chateau Ruin
Situated in Montaigut le Blanc in the Creuse Region of the Limousin (Dept 23). The castle appears from afar, dominating the summits of the timbered hill.
The castle and its contiguous village, called "le Grand Montaigut", are located between the village street of Montaigut-le-Blanc to the south and the district of the station called Petite Neuville in the north.
Built on the site of a mound 'castrale' culminating to 505m in altitude, the austere castle still manages to impose. This strategic situation enabled him in power to control the area and more precisely the valley of Gartempe in the North-East.
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Its east part is in ruin, but the walls still upright testify to the importance of the old castle, the aspect of this building evolved during the centuries, one knows that the Roman fortress comprised in an enclosure of the palisades (XIth century), or courtines crenelees (XIIth century), a rectangular tiny room, the keep and of light constructions for the dwelling and commune runs.
In the XIIIth century the donjon is round, in the XIVth it is moulded with the main building in a large strengthened building which occupies one side of the enclosure. The chateau of XVth century kept this plan, but one reduced the surface of it by increasing the height, and thus to decrease the importance of the essential garrison and to return "l'échelage" more difficult…
The seat of garrison, fortress was also a stop for the merchants and also a refuge for the peasants victims of the insecurity campaigns. Its plan then drew a flanked quadrilateral of 4 turrets forming buttresses, the hillock of the castle, from its strategic situation, offers today a circular sight on the many villages around.
On the roof terrace, at the top of the building 20 meters high, the sight still extends further, just as with Puy des Trois Cornes and Grand-Bourg.. listed as protected historic building in 1926 for its architectural interest, the castle which belonged to the commune, was bought by private owners, amateurs of old stone, the dangerous ruins, mainly masked by the vegetation, seemed likely to disappear.
Only the Western part was restored, the remainder was damaged too much. Thanks to these owners, the castle was thus saved. The site of the castle was listed protected in 1945 for its historical interest, its geographical location and the panorama views it offers.
