Château de Bressuire

The Château de Bressuire is a ruined castle in the town of Bressuire in the Deux-Sèvres département of France. The site has been inhabited continuously since the Celtic epoch. The present castle, most probably founded at the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries by the Beaumont family, occupies a considerable area on the rounded extremity of a plateau. With its strong position, it played a leading military role in the battles in Poitou between the kings of England and France over three centuries. The castle is first documented in 1029. It belonged to the Beaumont-Bressuire family until the start of the 16th century. The castle is a fine example of medieval military architecture. The visible remains date essentially from the end of the 12th and start of the 13th century. The fortress included three enceintes, of which the outermost has now disappeared. The castle was broken up during the first half of the 18th century. A new residence was built around 1880, set back in relation to the former building. The castle was acquired by the commune in 1975. It has been listed since 1996 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture. ^ http://www.culture.gouv.fr Ministry of Culture, accessed 31 Dec 2007 Less