Castle Site of Montbazon

The castle site of Montbazon comprises a series of fortified structures situated within the French commune of Montbazon, located in the department of Indre-et-Loire and the Centre-Val de Loire region. The site overlooks the Indre valley and controls both land and river routes. The development of the site is believed to have begun in the late 10th or early 11th century with the construction of a keep (donjon), which is generally attributed to Fulk Nerra. This development occurred at the edge of a rocky promontory that overlooked the valley. The tower construction was part of the power struggle between the houses of Blois and Anjou in this part of Touraine. Subsequently, the tower was augmented with the construction of an outwork, a curtain wall, and two enclosures, which were erected to safeguard the entire site. These additions were made for several centuries, from the early 11th to the 15th century. A Renaissance castle was constructed in the 15th century, and notable figures (Louis VII, Louis XI, Catherine de' Medici, and Henry of Navarre) resided there for varying periods. However, the castle was ultimately destroyed a little more than three centuries later due to extensive dilapidation while uninhabited. The seigniorial chapel and a portion of the enclosure also suffered a similar fate. Since the French Revolution, modifications and restorations have been carried out by suc

Building data from Wikidata (CC0); heights normalised. Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).