Located in the heart of Val de Loire, constructed in the late 15th century, the Château de Fougères-sur-Bièvre is an ideally representative fortified castle with its donjon, its machicolated curtain walls, and its fortified postern tower. Built under the supervision of Pierre de Refuge and modified by Jean de Villebresme around 1520,  over the course of three generations a château designed as a venue for reception took on its definitive and durable form. Its Gothic architecture helped Pierre de Refuge to affirm his social status and his belonging to French nobility.

After its acquisition by the Lambot family in  1738, René Lambot had the idea of turning the property into a spinning mill, which is how it functioned from 1813 to 1901, at once protecting it from post-revolutionary depredations and keeping it open for business. Awarded the status of historic monument in 1912, sold off subsequent to the 1929 stock market crash, in 1932 the château passed into the hands of the French state.

The Château de Fougères-sur-Bièvre presents a dual aspect; while the entrance façade is defensively Gothic, the courtyard façade is adorned with Renaissance decors. Excellently conserved, today’s castle remains strikingly close to its 1525-1530 ancestor with its defensive exterior façade, the civilian and domestic architecture of its inner courtyard, and its medieval interior plan featuring adjoining rooms without central hallways.

The château of Fougères-sur-Bièvre is distinguished from the large-scale Loire castles by dint of its sober yet powerful architecture, which has undergone little alteration over the centuries. With its walls in rough-cut Beauce limestone and its sections sculpted in tufa stone originating on the shores of the Cher, it is illustrative of the regional art of building. Young and old alike will readily identify the different military attributes and interior layout of a strikingly well-conserved late 15th-century small-scale fortified castle.

Photo gallery of Château de Fougères-sur-Bièvre

Visits

  • Average duration of the individual visit : 01h00
  • Group educational visits
  • Average duration of the group visit : 01h15
  • Available languages
    • Panneaux : French
    • Parlées : French

Activities

  • Specific theme activities
  • Junior workshop
  • Temporary exhibitions

Opening time

From May 02 to September 04, 2023
Monday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Tuesday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Wenesday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Thursday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Friday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Saturday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Sunday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
From September 05 to December 31, 2023
Monday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
TuesdayClosed
Wenesday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
Thursday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
Friday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
Saturday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
Sunday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
Details on closing times : Tuesday
From January 02 to May 06, 2024
Details on closing times : Tuesday
From May 07 to September 04, 2024
Monday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Tuesday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Wenesday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Thursday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Friday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Saturday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
Sunday09:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 06 PM
From September 05 to December 31, 2024
Monday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
TuesdayClosed
Wenesday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
Thursday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
Friday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
Saturday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
Sunday10 AM - 12:30 PM and 02 PM - 05 PM
Details on closing times : Tuesday

Prices

Free rate

Discount rate : € 5.00

Full adult price : € 6.00

Further information

Payment method

  • Credit Card
  • Debit cards
  • Postal or bank cheques
  • Holiday vouchers
  • Cash

Access

  • Motorway at 23 km
  • Bus station at 19 km

Services and equipments

  • Shop
  • Picnic area
  • Parking