Château de Bourg-le-Château, Medieval castle in Bommiers, France
The château de Bourg-le-Château is a ruined fortress at Les Minimes, in Bommiers, Indre. Three enclosures remain: the motte of the circular keep, flanked to the north by two towers; the quadrangular lower court, of which an early 13th-century curtain wall survives; and the great court, reached by a drawbridge. A 15th-century manor stands at the far end of the great court, and the whole site lies in a 4-hectare park.
The fortress first appeared in written records in 1123 through a papal letter from Pope Calixte II, with another mention in 1163 from Pope Alexander III. These early documents confirm its importance as a significant regional stronghold during the 12th century.
The name Bourg-le-Château survives in the lieu-dit les Minimes, where the ruins stand in a four-hectare park. The site is a private, inhabited property, but guided tours are offered. The castle is one of the rare examples of a moated mound castle with a courtyard from the 12th and 13th centuries, alongside Châtillon, Cluis and Brosse.
The castle is private property and inhabited, so the grounds are not freely open; guided tours are the way to see the three enclosures. The site lies at the lieu-dit les Minimes in Bommiers, Indre, and erosion and vegetation are affecting the ruins, with preservation projects under way.
The castle is one of the few surviving examples of a moated motte-and-courtyard castle from the 12th and 13th centuries, alongside Châtillon, Cluis and Brosse. Its quadrangular lower courtyard preserves a curtain wall from the early 13th century. The site is private property and inhabited, but guided tours are available.
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