Château de Blandy-les-Tours
Encyclopedia
The Château de Blandy-les-Tours is a medieval castle in the village of Blandy-les-Tours (Seine-et-Marne
, France
); it is about 5 km from the château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
and 10 km from Melun
. The castle is in the middle of the village. Its restoration began in 1992.
It was mentioned in a text in 1216. It belonged to Adam II de Chailly, Viscount of Melun and consisted of a simple manor; inside was a chapel, the only construction made of stone.
In the 14th century, the castle was strongly modified with new fortifications and structures of defence: a moat
was dug and a new gate-tower with a drawbridge
was included in the enclosing wall. The kings Charles V
(1364 - 1380) and Charles VI
(1380 - 1422) financed the transformation into a castle for the successive owners of the castle, the counts de Tancarville
Jean II and his grandson Guillaume IV. A high keep
, defended by two drawbridges, was built. The curtain wall was modified by the addition of new towers. All these modifications took place during the Hundred Years' War
.
However, the castle of Blandy-les-Tours was rebuilt in 16th century by François II of Orleans. The castle consequently became a residence. The princess of Cleves married there in 1572 in the presence of the future Henry IV
. But, the castle often changed owner and worsened gradually with various dwellings inside the enclosure.
After the 17th century restorations, the marshal de Villars
, owner of the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte, bought the land and the castle of Blandy. He decided to dismantle it and transformed it into a farm. The roofs were taken from the towers, the parapets were destroyed and the large gatehouse was dismantled.
In 1764, it was resold to the duke of Choiseul-Praslin, minister of Louis XV
.
In 1888, Pierre-Charles Tuot, the mayor of Blandy-les-Tours, bought it and gave it to the municipality, no building remains in the ruined enclosure. It became a Monument historique
in 1889.
In the 1970s, volunteer associations began the first works to safeguard the castle.
Acquired by the conseil général (general council) of Seine-et-Marne in 1992, the castle became the subject of a complete project of restoration, respecting the principal historical stages of the monument.
The castle of Blandy is a typical example of a 13th century feudal fortress, later transformed into a great lordly residence in the style of the late 14th century.
The enclosure holds 6 towers:
The bases of the three last towers were raised after 1370 out of sandstone
from Fontainebleau
, whereas the higher stages were completed about 1390 by Guillaume IV out of gritstone
, a more economic material. The keep had three points of entry, a feature thought to be rare.
Seine-et-Marne
Seine-et-Marne is a French department, named after the Seine and Marne rivers, and located in the Île-de-France region.- History:Seine-et-Marne is one of the original 83 departments, created on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution in application of the law of December 22, 1789...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
); it is about 5 km from the château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
Vaux-le-Vicomte
The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is a baroque French château located in Maincy, near Melun, 55 km southeast of Paris in the Seine-et-Marne département of France...
and 10 km from Melun
Melun
Melun is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Located in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, Melun is the capital of the department, as the seat of an arrondissement...
. The castle is in the middle of the village. Its restoration began in 1992.
History
The site was previously a Merovingian necropolis.It was mentioned in a text in 1216. It belonged to Adam II de Chailly, Viscount of Melun and consisted of a simple manor; inside was a chapel, the only construction made of stone.
In the 14th century, the castle was strongly modified with new fortifications and structures of defence: a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
was dug and a new gate-tower with a drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
was included in the enclosing wall. The kings Charles V
Charles V of France
Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois...
(1364 - 1380) and Charles VI
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
(1380 - 1422) financed the transformation into a castle for the successive owners of the castle, the counts de Tancarville
Tancarville
Tancarville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Upper Normandy region of northern France.-Geography:Tancarville is a farming village surrounded by woodland, by the banks of the river Seine in the Pays de Caux, some east of Le Havre and near the junction of the D39, D982 and D910...
Jean II and his grandson Guillaume IV. A high keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
, defended by two drawbridges, was built. The curtain wall was modified by the addition of new towers. All these modifications took place during the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
.
However, the castle of Blandy-les-Tours was rebuilt in 16th century by François II of Orleans. The castle consequently became a residence. The princess of Cleves married there in 1572 in the presence of the future Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
. But, the castle often changed owner and worsened gradually with various dwellings inside the enclosure.
After the 17th century restorations, the marshal de Villars
Claude Louis Hector de Villars
Claude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince de Martigues, Marquis then Duc de Villars, Vicomte de Melun was the last great general of Louis XIV of France and one of the most brilliant commanders in French military history, one of only six Marshals who have been promoted to Marshal General of...
, owner of the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte, bought the land and the castle of Blandy. He decided to dismantle it and transformed it into a farm. The roofs were taken from the towers, the parapets were destroyed and the large gatehouse was dismantled.
In 1764, it was resold to the duke of Choiseul-Praslin, minister of Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
.
In 1888, Pierre-Charles Tuot, the mayor of Blandy-les-Tours, bought it and gave it to the municipality, no building remains in the ruined enclosure. It became a Monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
in 1889.
In the 1970s, volunteer associations began the first works to safeguard the castle.
Acquired by the conseil général (general council) of Seine-et-Marne in 1992, the castle became the subject of a complete project of restoration, respecting the principal historical stages of the monument.
Structure of the castle
The keep of the castle is built as part of a hexagonal enclosure, around the castle chapel. It stands 35 m high inside a polygonal enclosure of 14th century round towers. In the courtyard are the remains of the Merovingian crypt.The castle of Blandy is a typical example of a 13th century feudal fortress, later transformed into a great lordly residence in the style of the late 14th century.
The enclosure holds 6 towers:
- the square tower - the former gatehouse (la tour carrée)
- the moral tower (la tour morale)
- the tower of justice (la tour de la justice)
- the tower of the archives (la tour des archives)
- the keep (la donjon)
- the tower of the guards (la tour des gardes)
The bases of the three last towers were raised after 1370 out of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
from Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
, whereas the higher stages were completed about 1390 by Guillaume IV out of gritstone
Gritstone
Gritstone or Grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. This term is especially applied to such sandstones that are quarried for building material. British gritstone was used for millstones to mill flour, to grind wood into pulp for paper and for grindstones to sharpen blades. "Grit" is...
, a more economic material. The keep had three points of entry, a feature thought to be rare.