Château d'Eternes

En un regard

Le château en bref

Château d'Éternes stands in Saix, in the Loudunais (Vienne). The name Éternes is attested as early as the 9th century, according to the dictionary of the Order of Fontevraud. The estate initially belonged to the canons of Saint-Hilaire de Poitiers, then came under the abbey of Fontevraud; in 1379 it was attached to the priory of Saint-Lazare. It is reputed to have been the abbesses' favourite enclosure. The present building results from major nineteenth-century alterations in a neo-medieval and neo-Renaissance style: a quadrangle around a courtyard, a gatehouse with machicolations flanked by pavilions, decorative artillery bastions, a keep with a crenellated terrace, and a chapel. Returned to winemaking after its purchase in 1992, the estate is open to visitors and offers wine tastings.