Château Le Parc Vieil

The seigneury of Champignelles, a Courtenay fiefdom, made famous by the marriage of Elisabeth to Pierre de France, the 6th son of Louis VI the Fat, had to take the Courtenay coat of arms following negotiations between Louis VI and Renaud de Courtenay. The Parc Vieil castle, a defensive stronghold, was called "Le Parc" until the 14th century, when a new park, "Le Parc Neuf", was added to the 5 existing strongholds around Champignelles. Most of the main building dates from the 17th century. The north-west corner of the building still contains the base of a 15th and 16th century turret, and the foundations of a 12th century round tower and a 14th century square tower were revealed when the moat was cleared in 1976. The northern part of the building, with its Philibert de l'Orme-style roof structure, was listed as a Historic Monument by decree on 8 August 1966. The facades and roofs (except those listed), the courtyard floor and the moat were listed as Historic Monuments by decree on 8 August 1966. All around the château, structured by lines of lime trees, hornbeams and yew hedges, are garden areas: forecourt, kitchen garden, grove, English park, pond, French park covering more than four hectares.