Architecture

The castle as it was born

At the time of building the castle of Isle Savary, time is no longer in the building of medieval fortresses, but the Island is nevertheless still a “Castle” as evidenced by the moat surrounding the two drawbridge, double, three square towers, the imposing tower, the rampart which covers all the dungeons, the defenses that are the slots, the machicoulis the hourdes, deadly, the guns, the turrets … the castle is built entirely of tufa stone and Riche-mont, cut and exposed, its walls several meters thick at their bases. All the roofs are covered with slates of Angers asked Priory model copper nail notched 35 mm on sheathing fir 27 mm thick. The Savary Castle is with the Plessis’s Castle Bourre built in Anjou at the same time, one of the latest French castles. But it’s also a forerunner and herald of the great Renaissance castles that will make the reputation of the Loire Valley. It brings together, perhaps for the first time in France, all the previously heterogeneous and disparate buildings that made until a castle chapel, kitchens, gatehouse etc … But what is most striking is the singular regularity of the plan, the safety of proportions, the overall harmony, the systematic search for symmetry into the walls of the moat, the aesthetic quality of the construction …

The building in the middle, flanked by two towers of identical angles offer the most remarkable aspect entire facade is perfectly symmetrical, square towers are built into the building, the two wings at right angles, one of which is shorter in order to make room for a drawbridge and keep form and close a courtyard of attractive modern look.

As for the interiors, the care taken in their development is also noteworthy. Not only the stately life can take place under one roof but the rectangular outline of all that is repeated in every room at the same time ensures maximum size and comfort. At the time of its construction and it has remained virtually unchanged to this day as we will explain below, the footprint of the castle and the dungeon is about 1000m. The castle comprises a ground floor, two floors and a basement under most of the building. The keep its part comprises a basement and 5 levels.

The transformation of the castle over the centuries

Unlike many castles that have been radically altered or rebuilt in the 19th century, the castle of Isle Savary today remains largely as it was built in the 1465 to 1475 years. This is due to two main factors:

  • He was way ahead of its time and very aesthetically pleasing
  • Successive owners who owned it in the 19th century in particular were not enough “rich” to think redo everything.

Indeed, it is noted that it is usually the poorest properties that have changed the least, which is perfectly logical. Castle Isle Savary, however, “experience”. In particular, and again this is not a chance in the two major periods which have already been discussed above. We refer to the periods:

  • Frontenac
  • and Jouffroy

Before Frontenac castle was most probably little changed in any case, we have found little evidence of significant changes except the fact that it is under doubt a grand-son of William of Varye, Charles de Varye who “ascended” the chapel originally located on the ground floor to place it on the 1st floor, practically on top of the previous one, this in 1547.

It’s Frontenac has transformed the gardens, which most likely built the orangery, which has turned the ground level of the moat and perhaps their drying process, which probably destroyed the wall ‘enclosure around the south side yard, that finally changed somewhat distributions interior parts …

But it is unquestionably the Marquis and Count Jouffroy who most changed / upgraded the castle to give the appearance that he still has today. He turned double drawbridge south side of a stone bridge stone. He also renovated all interiors of the ground floor to develop beautiful pieces in empire style or restoration …