Château de Fougères-sur-Bièvre, forteresse de Pierre de Refuge

Fougères-sur-Bièvre

At Fougères-sur-Bièvre, the lordship depended in 1030 on a vassal of the count of Blois. The English took the château and left it in ruins in 1429. In 1470 Pierre de Refuge, counsellor to Charles of Orléans and treasurer to Louis XI, turned it into a small fortress. According to Routard, the construction was meant above all to display his rank, the site being on flat ground. The plan follows the medieval model: a square keep with a tower at each corner, five habitable levels and a double staircase. Around 1510–1520 Jean de Villebresme added Renaissance elements, such as a covered gallery; Blois-Chambord calls him a grandson of Pierre de Refuge, Routard his son-in-law. In 1789 René Lambot, owner of the neighbouring château of Boissay, bought the fortress. From 1812 to 1901 he installed a spinning mill there. The château was listed in 1912 and became state property in 1932. During the Second World War it sheltered works from the Louvre and stained glass from Chartres cathedral, according to Routard.

Getting there: In the village of Fougères-sur-Bièvre, near Blois; state property, visiting conditions to be checked. Coordinates: OpenStreetMap (Nominatim).

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

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