#197 Château de Villemonteix
Saint-Pardoux-les-Cards, Creuse, France
1425 and later
This
is NOT an official Lego site
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The
Château de Villemonteix is one of four châteaux that historically
protected the city of Ahun in the Middle Ages. It began as the Villa
Montis in the Gallo-Roman era. I have been unable to ascertain who
fortified the structure in the early fifteenth century. The first
owner mentioned is the Marquis de Biencourt, who apparently sided with
the monarchy during the French Revolution three and one half centuries
after the château was fortified. There is no specific reference to
Napoleonic repercussions, but just four years after the Revolution, the
castle passed to Charles de la Barre, Viscount of Bridiers. The estate
was purchased by a Mrs. Aubert, the widow of a notary from Boussac in
1888, and later passed to the Sallandrouze family from Aubusson.
In 1946 the castle was declared a Historic Monument. The castle
was acquired by Pierre Lajoix in 1982, with many repairs made in the
ensuing years, and is open to the public.
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The layout of
Villemonteix is a rectangular tower of four stories and a garret. A pair
of round towers of four and five stories grace the SW and NW corners
respectively. There is a square stair tower roughly in the middle of the
east face of the rectangle. A pair of smaller round towers
protected the NE and SE corners of the roughly square courtyard.
At a later date several additional buildings were added to the south
side of the courtyard, creating a long Z-plan. These buildings
contained both residential and culinary areas, including a pair of
side-by-side walk-in ovens. Around 1728 the courtyard gate was
modified, and the two story curtain walls were leveled. My model
includes both ground level entrance/exits, one or both possible added at
that time. The well is located in the north half of the courtyard.
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The view
from the
west northwest. |
The view from
the south,
including outbuildings. |
The main
entrance in the stair tower. |
One of
several gargoyle
rain spouts. |
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Floor Plan |
Photos
of the Lego Model
Under construction May, 2025 |
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On May 23rd
the castle is laid out. |
Two days
later the slightly raised
front of the castle is built up... |
...with the pond side to
be
a bit lower.
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On May 26 the base of the
castle well defined.
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By May 29,
the ground floor on both
the tower and curtain walls are built. |
The back view highlights
the postern door and the
gradual slope to the pond. |
Here is the
main entrance
into the stair tower.
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On May 31 the
protective curtain
wall as I imagine it looked in
medieval times is complete |
Here are a
pair of side views
of the walled courtyard. |
Note the small cadre of
local
soldiers happy to guard the
ongoing construction.
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And the château is
rotated 180º
a second time - so work can
concentrate on the tower house.
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Two days
later the second level has
been added to the tower house. |
Here is the view of the
back of the
tower, with its pair of round towers. |
And on June 3rd, the
third
level [2nd story] is added.
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The
west side is a bit more varied -
and I have not photographed the
windowless north and south views.
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June 4 is
devoted to the 3rd story,
and to the supports for the future
embattled parapet walk and roof. |
On the west
[back] side, I'm also dealing
with the upper portions of the round towers. |
The b
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The
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Photos
of the Lego Model
Built May-June 2025 |
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Castle
finished on June 11. More pix
after Brickworld Chicago this weekend. |
The vie |
The ba
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The
w
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Build
Your Own
The Lego
Plan includes the outbuildings which I decided
were likely post-Medieval and thus excluded from the model. |
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| Lego Plan |
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East
Elevation |
North
Elevation |
West Elevation |
Top Down |
Other
Villemonteix Castle pages:
https://lajoixbranger.wixsite.com/chateauvillemonteix
https://www.tourisme-creuse.com/en/offers/chateau-de-villemonteix-saint-pardoux-les-cards-en-1438745/
https://www.france-voyage.com/tourism/villemonteix-castle-1290.htm
https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g14901182-d3841534-i402366270-Chateau_de_Villemonteix-Saint_Pardoux_les_Cards_Creuse_Nouvelle_Aquita.html
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main castle
page.
Castles created by
Robert
Carney
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created and maintained by Robert Carney
