Château de Dissay

English translation

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History

Dissay was the summer residence of the bishops of Poitiers. The castle was built at the end of the 15th century by Pierre d'Amboise. The building has come down to us practically in its entirety, except for a restoration. The former collegiate church was destroyed to be replaced by a curtain wall decorated with pinnacles. The original plan comprised a vast quadrilateral flanked at the angles by four large round towers. Two sides were occupied by the main dwelling, a third by the chapel of the collegiate church and by the entrance gate defended by two towers. The fourth side was probably occupied by the service buildings. The private chapel of the bishop was laid out in one of the corner towers adjacent to the collegiate church. A moat encircles the construction. In the 18th century, certain modifications were made to this plan. The south face was removed to provide direct access to service buildings constructed outside the moat. On the north face, part of the 15th-century building was replaced by a construction comprising a gallery. Pierre d'Amboise's oratory is of rectangular plan, vaulted on rib vaults with liernes. The choir is polygonal. This oratory is decorated with frescoes illustrating the theme of devotion to the redemption of the blood of Christ: the fountain of mercy. The subject was commonly treated in the 15th and early 16th century. The stained-glass panels (15th century) from the collegiate church were reinstalled in the 18th-century gallery of the castle. These windows illustrate the life of Christ.