Châteaux d'Uzage et de Bonaventure

English translation

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History

Fief held from the castellany of Cravant. The 16th-century manor is found to the east of the 18th-century castle. It comprises two perpendicular bodies of building whose storeys are connected by a stone spiral stair housed in a tower occupying the re-entrant angle. The 18th-century castle presents façades with central bays flanked by pilasters and topped with a triangular gable. It was extended, probably in the early 19th century, by two wings. The cylindrical dovecote covered with a dome was converted into a chapel in the 19th century. The castle of Bonaventure was a hunting lodge built by Louis XI who resided there in 1480 and 1482; the main dwelling stood to the west of the courtyard; it was entirely demolished in 1745, as was the chapel dedicated to Saint-Bonaventure; this courtyard was bounded to the east by the Officers' building, parallel to the former, of which the eastern gutter wall remains; in the north wall of the park survives the round-headed entrance door, accompanied by a wicket, and a brick structure which belonged to the main dwelling; the south-west tower of the enclosure, called the Tower of Gardens, is finished by crenellation. The park of the castle of Uzage brings together two properties: the fief of Uzage and the Close of the royal castle of Bonaventure of which only vestiges remain. The landscape aspect of this park entirely enclosed by a wall results from a long evolution. The Napoleonic cadastral plan suggests a fairly regular park marked by a north-south perspective passing through the axis of the castle and going towards the road to Chinon. A second west-east perspective crosses the vegetable garden in the direction of the Close of Bonaventure and a very extensive space formerly marshy. After 1837, the park is remodelled as a landscape park. The two perspectives are maintained with, however, modifications. A large damp meadow replaces the rectangular parterre extending southwards and two channels with natural banks feed water to a pond around an artificial island. Paths cross the wooded area situated to the east. In the course of the 1930s, new elements come to enhance the whole such as small wooden and concrete bridges, the development of a mooring platform in front of the water feature, plantings of conifers, box... The landscape designers Louis Decorges and his son René are probably the authors of these latter transformations.