Château et citadelle de Parthenay

Parthenay

Parthenay occupies a spur in a loop of the Thouet, in the Gâtine poitevine. The Parthenay family established itself there in the early 11th century; it took the surname Larchevêque after one of its members became archbishop of Bordeaux in 1059. In the early 13th century the lords built the stone castle at the northern tip of the citadel, with money from the English kings John and Henry III. Around 1401 the chaplain Coudrette completed for Guillaume Larchevêque a verse Roman de Mélusine: the fairy builds Parthenay as she did Lusignan, and the Larchevêque claim to be her descendants. The line died out in 1427; the constable Arthur de Richemont added a bastille and an artillery bulwark. Abandoned in the 17th century, the castle was dismantled in 1776 and its ditches filled in. Since 1985, excavations and restorations have uncovered the site. Visitors can see the Poudrière tower, the Citadelle gate and the ramparts that run down towards the Saint-Jacques quarter.

Ville de Parthenay — Le château de Parthenay ↗

Getting there: Citadelle quarter, rue du Château, 79200 Parthenay; free access to the ramparts and the Citadelle gate; guided tours by the Ville d'art et d'histoire service. Parthenay railway station.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound