En un regard
Le château en bref
The Château de Nuchèze, seat of the seigneury of Saint-Denis in Champdeniers-Saint-Denis (Deux-Sèvres), belonged to the de Nuchèze family, originally from Poitou and recorded from the early 14th century. The family kept the estate for only a century, before Catherine de Nuchèze brought it as her dowry when she married Jacques de Montalembert in 1439; he most likely had the château built during the reign of Charles VII. The estate has notable family connections: Jean-Jacques de Nuchèze married Marguerite Frémiot, whose niece was none other than Madame de Sévigné. The property changed hands several times between the 17th and 20th centuries, remaining with the Thibault du Plantis family until around 1920, before passing to Honoré Reyé in 1927. The main residence, rising over several storeys, is pierced with mullioned windows and served by an octagonal tower with a stone staircase; an imposing dovecote tower with 1,200 nesting holes also survives. Listed as a historic monument since 3 July 1992, the château opens to the public — for its medieval garden and chapel only — from 18 July to 4 September, every day except Sunday, from 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm, as well as during the Heritage Days (Journées du Patrimoine).