Château de La Guerche

The Château de La Guerche stands in the village of La Guerche, in the Indre-et-Loire department of Touraine, on the banks of the river Creuse, in the south of the Loire valley, and it is a rare surviving example of a fifteenth-century fortress-residence. The nearest towns are Descartes and Loches, and the castle should not be confused with the village of La Guerche-sur-l'Aubois in the Cher.

The castle was begun in 1454, after the lands had been bought by André de Villequier, a nobleman at the court of King Charles VII who was married to Antoinette de Maignelais, a relative of the king's famous favourite Agnès Sorel. It was built at a time when the Hundred Years War was drawing to a close and castles were changing from pure strongholds into residences that could also be defended, with thick walls, round towers, moats and defences against artillery. At La Guerche, the stout stone walls, towers and vaulted cellars show this combination, and the castle is considered one of the best examples of its kind in the region. It has been protected as a historic monument since the 1940s.

Visits are usually by guided tour, especially in the summer. The tour takes visitors through the castle's lower levels, with vaulted cellars that include casemates, which are chambers designed to hold cannon, and prison cells, as well as the granaries where the lord stored grain. The vaults are of stone, in a style typical of the period, and the cool, dark spaces give a sense of how the building was built to withstand a siege. The grounds include a courtyard and views of the river. The interior is not furnished as a palace, so the visit is mostly about architecture and the history of defence.

The surrounding area offers a quiet and pleasant landscape. The Creuse flows through a green valley with meadows and woods, and small towns such as Descartes, named after the philosopher René Descartes, who was born there, line its banks. Loches, with its royal fortress, the Cité Royale, lies to the north, and the great châteaux of the Loire are a short drive away.

It suits history and castle enthusiasts and those who like to explore less-visited places. Check the dates and times of guided tours before you go, since they may be limited outside summer.