The Michelin Green Guide for the Berry and Limousin regions says of Châtillon-sur-Indre: Au centre de la ville, la masse imposante de ce donjon (12e siècle), cerclé d'un deuxième enceinte de la même époque, cache désormais un château d'eau. Du sommet, panorama sur la ville et la vallée de l'Indre.
In other words, the imposing 12th-century hulk called the Tower of Caesar, encircled by a second wall built in the same period, now serves to house a water tower. From the top, there are panoramic views of the town and the Indre river valley. I'd like to go back there and climb up to the top of the tower, and also see what the Friday morning market is like. Maybe in November.
One thing that was surprising is that the school just below the old tower was open and we could hear children's voices inside when we walked by.
Apparently, there is also a château in Châtillon (the word derives from château) but we didn't see it. Next time... We did notice a number of ornate buildings, treasures from another era, all around the town.
P.S. Our new lean-to greenhouse, attached to the back of the house, was built yesterday. The aluminum structure is in place, and the concrete footings will dry and set up this week. Then the glass panels can be installed next weekend.
Ken, I understood that the donjon and the lower skirt wall was the chateau in Châtillon..... rather like the on here in GP, just not so grand?
ReplyDeleteAnd...YAY...on the greenhouse front!
The Michelin Guide describes a 13th-century château in Châtillon, separate from the 12th-century tower of Caesar. Maybe both structures are on the same peak in the middle of the town. The tourist office was on congé annuel when we were there, so I couldn't get much information.
DeleteWe were on the back side of the château, I think, and focused on the Tour de César. There's an aerial photo here. The château terrace is hidden from view, up on the side of the hill, and from the back of the château no signs indicate that you get there. I have a photo of the back of the château, it turns out...
DeleteJust like the Tour Magne à Nîmes (French pun intended) of Roman origin, there seem to be several similar structures, also in France, called Tour César. If the one in Châtillon-sur-Indre wasn't built by the Romans, maybe it replaced a structure built by them, hence its name?
DeleteFrom the aerial photo, it looks like the château proper was built on one of the terraces below the keep, completing the château fort.
If memory serves me well we've been through Châtillon at least twice, but never stopped.
We've driven through Châtillon-sur-Indre a few times., I think, On the way to Preuilly-sur-Claise, Le Grand-Pressigny, etc. I found this blog that gives information on the Tour (de) César and the history of Ch.-sur-I. in general. Do you remember the château de Pouzieux?
DeleteThis is funny, because when I wrote my previous comment, I was thinking about Ceasar Borgia and not about my "brother" César de Vendôme. The blog is interesting.
DeleteYes I do remember the château de Pouzieuz. Wasn't it the one you saw from the train once, took a picture of it and wondered later which one it was? IIRC, we looked at the inside courtyard that suggested it was a farm of some kind.
We went to the château de Pouzieux 10 years ago! Can you believe that? July 2006. Here's a link to some information about Pouzieux.
DeleteTime flies so fast these days! :—)
DeleteThank you for the link.
It never occurred to me that the chateau d'eau was inside the old tower! Like a lot of people we've driven through the town innumerable times but never stopped to visit the historic parts despite saying we 'should one day'.
ReplyDeleteI plan to go back to Châtillon-sur-Indre in November, especially if we have a clear, sunny Friday. That's market day in the town. The Michelin Guide says of the market that: La ville s'anime les jours de marché ; sur le vaste champ de foire se tiennent alors des transactions actives de bestiaux, de produits du terroir, et de matériel agricole. Sounds interesting and picturesque. Couleur locale...
DeleteThis is all very interesting... I didn't realize that towns were dying away like this.
ReplyDeleteWhat does châtillon mean? I know you said that it was related to château.
À l'inverse de châtelet qui est un nom commun, Châtillon semble être un nom propre de lieux et de personnes.
DeleteÀ mon humble avis (IMHO in English), les deux mots sont des diminutifs de château. Donc, les grandes familles qui s'appellent Châtillon étaient probablement à l'origine possesseurs de petits châteaux.
Voici ce que dit Wikipedia de l'origine du nom de Châtillon:
Delete"Châtillon serait un dérivé, sans doute mérovingien, du bas latin castellum, diminutif de castrum, accompagné du suffixe -ionem. Castrum désigne d’abord tous les types de forteresse, depuis le simple donjon jusqu’à l’enceinte urbaine, puis se spécialise dans le sens de « château fort » et se réduit ensuite à celui de « grande maison de plaisance »."
Merci pour tout ça, chm :)
DeleteThe word doesn't appear in dictionaries. It seems to be just a place name.
ReplyDelete