En un regard
Le château en bref
The Château de Champdolent, which takes its name from a battle fought in 876 between Vikings and Taillefer of Angoulême, first belonged to the Rancon family, the earliest known lords, and then, after the Hundred Years' War, to an English lord named Totesham until 1479, when Olivier de Coëtivy acquired it. Marie de Valois, natural daughter of King Charles VII and Agnès Sorel, became its owner through her marriage to Olivier de Coëtivy in 1458; a large 15th-century fireplace bearing their combined coats of arms makes it possible to date the present remains to the second half of that century. Partially demolished in 1812, the château today retains a main residential wing, a three-storey tower known as "the keep" pierced with mullioned windows, and a well-preserved stair tower housing the historic fireplace. The estate now offers bed-and-breakfast rooms in this 14th–15th-century château.