Château de La Celle-Guénand
Encyclopedia
The château de La Celle-Guenand under the Ancien Régime in France
is the seat of the Barony of Preuilly and St Maure. The estate encompassed what is today, the commune
of La Celle-Guenand
in the Indre-et-Loire
départment in the Centre Val-de-Loire Region
of France
.
The château
is listed as a Monument historique
since 11 June 1943 by the French Ministry of Culture.
The first known Lord of this castle is Antoine de Guenand, cited in 1422, he became Captain-Governor of Loches
in 1441 under Charles VII of France
(who had been crowned in Reims
in 1429 through the endeavors of Joan of Arc
to free France from the English). Pierre de Guenand (Antoine's son) inherited the estate in 1487; at the time he was Grand Chamberlain to King Charles VIII of France
. In 1537, during the reign of Francis I of France
, Guillaume de Coutance, Lord of La Celle-Guenand married Rene d'Azay, bringing together two chatelaines, La Celle-Guenand and La Celle-Draon. Much later conflict in 1779 lead to the removal of the pastor of La Celle-Guenand and the two parishes were merged, to be known as La Celle-Guenand. The estate was held by the Coutance family until 1780. Jean Cantineau de Commacres lorded over the castle of La Celle-Guenand until 1785 the last years of the French monarchy. Followed by Pierre Gaullier to midway through the French Revolution
until 1794 (Louis XVI of France
was beheaded by guillotine
in January 1793). The Revolution ended in 1799 and the estate went on to be held by the Gaullier des Bordes through the July Revolution
of 1830, the First French Empire
and Second French Empire
until 1935, when it passed to Jacques Devaulx de Chambord.
Ancien Régime in France
The Ancien Régime refers primarily to the aristocratic, social and political system established in France from the 15th century to the 18th century under the late Valois and Bourbon dynasties...
is the seat of the Barony of Preuilly and St Maure. The estate encompassed what is today, the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of La Celle-Guenand
La Celle-Guenand
La Celle-Guenand is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.-References:*...
in the Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire is a department in west-central France named after the Indre and the Loire rivers.-History:Indre-et-Loire is one of the original 83 départements created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
départment in the Centre Val-de-Loire Region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
of 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...
.
The château
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
is listed as 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...
since 11 June 1943 by the French Ministry of Culture.
History
- Founded in the 10th century as a MonasteryMonasteryMonastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
- Reconstructed in the 15th century as a Fortress
- Restored in the 17th century as a private ResidenceHouseA house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
- Additional outbuildings built in the 19th century
The first known Lord of this castle is Antoine de Guenand, cited in 1422, he became Captain-Governor of Loches
Loches
Loches is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.It is situated southeast of Tours by railway, on the left bank of the Indre River.-History:...
in 1441 under Charles VII of France
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
(who had been crowned in Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
in 1429 through the endeavors of Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
to free France from the English). Pierre de Guenand (Antoine's son) inherited the estate in 1487; at the time he was Grand Chamberlain to King Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
. In 1537, during the reign of Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
, Guillaume de Coutance, Lord of La Celle-Guenand married Rene d'Azay, bringing together two chatelaines, La Celle-Guenand and La Celle-Draon. Much later conflict in 1779 lead to the removal of the pastor of La Celle-Guenand and the two parishes were merged, to be known as La Celle-Guenand. The estate was held by the Coutance family until 1780. Jean Cantineau de Commacres lorded over the castle of La Celle-Guenand until 1785 the last years of the French monarchy. Followed by Pierre Gaullier to midway through the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
until 1794 (Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
was beheaded by guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
in January 1793). The Revolution ended in 1799 and the estate went on to be held by the Gaullier des Bordes through the July Revolution
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
of 1830, the First French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
and Second French Empire
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
until 1935, when it passed to Jacques Devaulx de Chambord.