Vaujours Castle

Vaujours Castle, locally known as Château de Vaujours, lies in a wooded area south of the village of Château-la-Vallière in the Indre-et-Loire department in France.

Exactly when and by whom Vaujours Castle was built is unclear. Some sources state it was built during the 12th century, while others state it might have been built around 1250 by a Hugues VI d'Alluye, or a member of the Rotrou de Montfort family who had family ties with the Alluyes. It was built to defend the territory of the Duchy of Anjou.

During the Hundred Years' War the English never managed to take the castle. In the 15th century a major restoration of the castle was carried out by Jean V de Bueil, nicknamed "Scourge of the English". He also strengthened it, making it an impregnable fortress. He finally died there in 1478.

During that same century, Louis XI of France frequently stayed at Vaujours when he visited the Duchy of Anjou, together with his half-sister Jeanne de Valois. In 1461 Jeanne even married the son of the Scourge.

The descendants of Jean V de Bueil sold the castle, in 1666, to Louis XIV of France. A year later, the Sun King gave it, as a kind of consolation and farewell gift, to his former mistress Mademoiselle Louise de la Vallière. She then became Duchess of La Vallière and Vaujours. The castle was inhabited until the French Revolution, at the end of the 18th century, when it was abandoned.

In 1815 Vaujours Castle was bought by an English nobleman; Sir Thomas Stanhope Holland. That same year, he had acquired another castle nearby; Vivier des Landes Castle. It is said that he used Vaujours as a quarry for building materials to rebuilt Vivier des Landes. Vaujours remained a ruin.

In 2011 the castle ruin was bought by its present owner, after laying abandoned for many decades. He now lives in a small residence on the bailey and is trying to maintain the ruin and raise interest in his castle.

The castle consists of a main castle with several round towers and bastions and a bailey also with several towers. Originally the entire fortress lay in a wide moat, which was fed by the La Fare stream nearby. At present this moat has dried up and has become overgrown.

Vaujours Castle can be visited for a fee, for which you get a guided tour by the owner. A great castle ruin and I admire the present owners' passion, so a visit is surely recommended.

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