Château de Montpoupon

The Montpoupon castle belongs to the French community Cere -la -Ronde in the Indre- et- Loire of the Centre region. In his farm buildings a hunting museum is housed since 1971.

The palace complex was in May 1930 as a monument historique enrolled (French: inscrit ). On January 28, 1966 followed his classification (French: classé ) as a monument historique.

Geography and etymology

Montpoupon, a depending Mont Richard castellany, there were already in the 12th century and probably earlier in the valley between Mont Richard and hole.

The name of the castle is derived from the Germanic tribe of the Popp Onen, who settled the Carolingian period here on the hill ( Mont = mountain ). From mons poppo ( German: the hills of Popp Onen ) was in the course of language development Montpoupon.

History

In the Middle Ages the town was strategically significant enough to justify the construction of a castle. From this facility from the 13th century only the towers have been preserved.

From the 14th to the 17th century was the fief held by the de Prie family. The feudal lords were rewarded for their loyalty to the House of Valois with the transfer of important offices, such as that of a eunuch or a Grand Master of the Crossbowmen.

The palace complex was expanded by the requirements of modern warfare in the 14th and 16th centuries. The gatehouse, the high housing tracts from the 15th century, the west tower and an insulated main tower with battlements and machicolated, convey, despite demolition of the walls during the French Revolution an impression of this fortified castles at strategic points of the royal road network.

Montpoupon remained until the middle of the 18th century belonged to the male heir of de Prie. After the castle was inherited from each mother to daughter. However, the ladies showed little interest in the buildings that fell into disrepair over time. 1763 acquired Margrave of Tristan, then mayor of Orleans, the estate. He improved the farm-houses and mills, led by a land consolidation and fixed the water right to make Montpoupon a lucrative possession. Finally, he decided to restore the castle, which, due to the revolution could no longer put it into practice.

In 1840 let the new owner of the castle build the farm buildings, which still exist today. In 1857 finally acquired Jean Baptiste de la Motte Saint Pierre the estate. He had carried out in the early 1900's work, which again awarded Montpoupon the appearance of the Renaissance.

Architecture

The massive, round Donjon with conical base ausgeweiteter from the 12th/13th. Century in its upper section to a resting on brackets cantilevered parapet with loopholes and small window openings. Above it rises the conical spire. It joins the Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, elongated living quarters at. On the right side a corner tower with narrow windows with architrave is the counterpart to the Donjon. The facade of the central part is designed with cross Stock windows. On the steep slate roofs, skylights sit with decorative late Gothic gables.

The entire complex is surrounded by a low wall with a round tower and a sentry from the 16th century. The square, reinforced with corner towers gatehouse leading into the courtyard with the fountain castle from the 15th century.

Exhibition

Visitors can view the entrance pavilion and several rooms of the residential tract, including the bedroom of Marshal Philippe de La Mothe- Houdancourt, who was owner of the estate in the 18th century.

The castle life of centuries past is alive in the farm buildings. The kitchen with its stove and the many copper pots was still used until 1978. In the laundry room ( french: Lingerie ) are fine lacy, issued pleated garments from the 19th century. The adjoining stables can accommodate coaches from ancient times, and in the saddlery depends old horse harness.

Decorated in modern times Hunting Museum (French: Musée du Veneur ) describes the daily routine of the hobby hunter. Other topics include the wildlife and forest management, animal breeding, sportsman clothing as well as the members of the hunting crafts such as upholstery, producing livery buttons and hunting horns.