A-Z of the Communes in the Deux-Sèvres Thouars (part two)
by Sue Burgess
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vRÉJvÉ]É`Éo}}lÉRÉu]v}]v}(RÉ R]}˙}(TR}XTR]u}vRURÉoÉ]]}uÉ}( the many monuments in Thouars. TRÉRÉ}(RÉDlÉ}(T u}]ooÉURÉCRÉoURÉ OvPÉ˙vRÉSoÉX
IvæUM]ÉÉoT}PvÉ ÉA UDRÉ}(L T u}booÉURRÉ}ooÉ}É RÉP}vXTRÉ `R}oÉ}uoɢ`É]PvÉ˙JÉLÉuÉ]ÉU R]É}L}]XIIIXIv(}v}(RÉruÉÉro}vP(É RÉÉ]}˙}(R}v}U}vÉ˙}}É PooÉ˙XW]R]u}(v]R]vPURÉoÉ`RÉ ÉvÉ}(˘Pv É ÉXD]vPRÉÉ]Pv}(L}]XIVU RÉLT u}booÉ(u]o˙u}É}P]vv}vÉRÉ oÉU`R]R`o}}É]vPRÉRÉ}o}vvuÉÉ v}vo}É˙XI`RÉvlÉ XTRÉ}`v }(TR}}PRRÉoÉv]}]o]vP]vX From 1854 to 1869, the castle was rented out and became a private college, Saint-Louis. The State then used the oÉ]}v(}u}ıæXTRÉ}`v}(TR} established a public secondary school there in 1931, and the school has been called Collège Marie de la Tour d'Auvergne since 1979. Restored in the 1990s, the castle is }Év}]]}(}uM˙}SÉÉuÉX TR]RÉv˙}ooÉP]ÉRÉoulRÉv]}v between the Gothic period and the Renaissance. C}v}vÉPv]vııXTRÉRÉo`]o}vRÉ ]É}(RÉ}`v`ooU}æuÉÉ(}uRÉuÉ]Éo
castle. It became a collegiate church in 1515 and was É]vPRÉW}(RÉo]P]}vXTR]]o]vP}u]vÉ RÉGu}˙vG}R]˙oÉ`]RRÉ]vGÉvÉ}(RÉ early Renaissance. Several architects succeeded one another, including André Amy, Jean Chahureau and Pierre ÉL}}ooÉUuÉPoulÉXTRÉ`ÉÉv(É Ro}PP]RÉ}Uv]É]vFvÉXTRÉ]vÉ]} }v]}(RÉÉvÉ}(.É˙`]RGRÉvÉ v}vÉXI(v]É`}o}vLÉRÉ RÉ}o}vXTRÉ]o]vP`É(}u}v É v o].ÉH]}]M}vuÉv]vXIvURÉ C]˙}(TR}}oRÉRÉo}RÉLT u}booÉ(u]o˙X I}}v É ÉPvæ˙ÉoÉXTRÉRÉovoo˙ be visited during guided tours organised by the Service de l'Architecture et des Patrimoines but it is currently vÉP}]vPÉv}}v`}lX TRÉoÉ}vPÉ˙`]oRÉÉv}(RÉR Év˙RÉ}( É RÉDlÉ}(TR}UCRoÉr BÉoP]ÉrH}oovÉÉLT u}booÉXI`É]PvÉ˙ RÉR]ÉJoÉH}]vMvvJÉV G]ÉoRÉuÉuÉRÉ}vPÉ˙RÉCRÉ ÉVÉ]ooÉXF}uRÉRÉv˙}v`UPÉv were laid out on the terrace between the château and the orangery. The esplanade was home to orange trees grown ]v}˘ÉXD]vPRÉRÉ}o}vUR]]o]vP`É P˙uv]u(}RÉRÉlXF}u }v`URÉ}vPÉ˙`v(}uÉ]v}`}lR} (}]}vÉXI`RÉvÉv]}v(}˙
The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, July 2022| 23
