The castle of Touffou is located on the banks of the Vienne River in Bonnes.
Classified as a historical monument in 1923 and 1994, listed in 1992, the castle occupies a dominant position on a terrace on the left bank of the Vienne.
A little bit of History...
Touffou appears for the first time in a deed of 1127 under the name "Tolfol". The first Romanesque keep dates from the thirteenth century, built by the Oger family.
The Donjon Residence was enlarged in the 15th century at the same time as round towers were built.
The defensive quadrilateral plan is still the one that the visitor will be able to contemplate today.
The Logis and the Renaissance style fittings of the castle are due to Jean III Chasteigner de la Roche-Posay, Chamberlain of François I, as well as his wife Claude de Montléon, lady of Touffou.
The de Chasteigner family owned the castle until 1821.
In 1794 the seals are put on Touffou but the estate is given to the heir in 1803 who sells it in 1821 to the cavalry colonel Alexandre Marie de Gréaulme .
Three owners succeeded one another until 1897 when it was bought by the Vergie family who occupied it until 1966 and perpetuated the tradition of hunting with a hound.
Enguerrand de Vergie had major restoration and development work carried out there.
Although the castle was classified as a historical monument in 1923, the gardens and the south avenue have been listed as Historical Monuments since 1992, while the remains of the towers have been listed since 1994.
During the Second World War, Bonnes, which had already welcomed Moselle refugees since September 1939, had to house 200 German soldiers: they were installed in the castle of Touffou.
The castle today
The Château de Touffou, which was bought in 1966 by British advertising executive David Ogilvy, contains Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements.
The enclosure, the interior and exterior terraces and the Chaplaincy building are classified by successive decrees.
The two keeps, erected in the 12th century, were reunited in the 15th century and equipped with a sophisticated defense system, with a crenellated and machicolated parapet walk.
The keep is rectangular: 27 m long, 13 m wide and 18 m high. It is flanked by turrets at the corners and crowned with machicolations on the north and east sides.
It has five floors, each housing a single room. The one in the second floor preserves a heraldic polychromy of the 12th century.
You will be able to visit the Francis I room with its vault decorated with Renaissance murals in the Saint John Tower, the Chapel Tower with its courtroom and dungeons in the basement and the Hotel Tower with its Grand Kitchens and Bakery.
Remarkable Gardens
The gardens are attested since the Revolution. The terraces of the garden are classified by decree of May 19, 1994.
The gardens, contemporary, have been progressively realized since 1966.
This garden includes a rose garden consisting of four rooms planted with yews and mixed-border composed of perennials. The visit continues with a succession of giant squares of artichokes bordered by boxwood. It ends with the garden at the bottom of the Vienne River where two wash houses are surrounded by trapezoid-shaped boxwood beds covered with giant nepetas.
The park is labeled "Remarkable Garden" since 2004.
Domain for sale...
The owners would now like to sell the castle for a sum of about 7 500 000 €.
"I am in love with this house but it must continue to live. The history of Touffou has been respected for a very long time, and this castle was saved by people who really loved it. I had a very good stay here, I did my best to maintain it, and I hope my successor will do the same," said Herta Oglivy, owner and widow of David Ogilvy.
The estate offers high-end hotel, restaurant and seminar services.
Free visit of the gardens and stables.
Touffou Castle
86300 Good
Tel: 05 49 56 40 08
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