Château de Lys-Saint-Georges, Medieval castle in Lys-Saint-Georges, France

Château de Lys-Saint-Georges stands on a natural spur above the Gourdon valley, approachable by only one side because of deep ravines. Its oldest part is the 12th-century oval keep, with remains of a drawbridge and arrow slits. The present building, surrounded by water-filled moats, was built from the 14th century on the earlier fortress; its 15th-century dwelling has Flamboyant Gothic sculpture.

The oldest part is the 12th-century oval keep, with remains of a drawbridge and arrow slits. The fortress was held for a time by an English garrison during the Hundred Years' War. Jacques Cœur then built the present logis above the moats, which still hold water. In 1440 the estate passed to Gilbert Bertrand, governor of Berry, whose family kept it for three centuries and raised the large 16th-century logis.

The Bertrand family, governors of Berry, held the castle for three centuries and left their arms and those of Navarre carved on the portal; the blazon on the porterie was hammered away. The castle was chosen in 2020 as a priority project of the loto du patrimoine, a national heritage lottery funding restoration.

A visit requires some planning, as the site is still undergoing restoration and not all areas are permanently accessible. It is best to check current opening conditions beforehand and follow the marked path to reach the castle.

Ludovico Sforza, duke of Milan, was captured at the Battle of Novara in 1500 by Louis II de La Trémoille and held in the castle's keep for a little over four years, from 1500 to 1504, before being moved to the Château de Loches, where he died in 1508.