A long and rich history
Meauce, one of the oldest castles in the Nivernais
Meauce is a very ancient land.
From the 1070s onwards, texts appear that mention Guy and Robert de Rochefort, lords of Meauce.
The site was nevertheless largely occupied well before the 8th century. It belonged to the first bishops of Nevers. Their aim was to Christianize the site and put an end to the pagan rites still practiced on the Meauce rock. The rock was a place of faith before it became a military stronghold. The three bearded men, three sculpted heads dating from between the 5th and 7th centuries and reused in the castle walls, bear witness to this period.
At the beginning of the 13th century, another Robert of Meauce was said to have measured 70 feet, or 2.10 meters, which earned him the nickname "Baise Porte" because of his unusual stature at the time.
His son, Hugues de Meauce, distinguished himself in turn, but for a nobler reason. In 1248, he accompanied Saint Louis on crusade. At the Battle of Mansourah, Hugues was taken prisoner, but the Saracens, fearing his agility and strength, blinded him. Saint Louis, grateful to this loyal knight, paid his ransom, brought him back to France, and financed the reconstruction of the Château de Meauce.
A royal wedding and a papal union ensured the prosperity of Meauce.
The castle was barely new at the beginning of the 14th century; his son, Hugues II de Meauce, was married to Isabelle de Sully, a direct descendant of Hugues Capet.
Lacking a male lineage, the Château de Meauce passed into the Monturuc family with the marriage of Catherine de Meauce to Etienne de Monturuc in 1349.
Etienne's uncle was none other than Innocent VI, Pope in Avignon from 1352 to 1362. Innocent VI was very generous to his family, which counted Petrarch among its close associates. The sons of de Meauce were sent throughout Europe and appointed bishops, some of whom would become famous cardinals.
Lacking "available" boys, it was Etienne's daughter, Catherine de Monturuc, who, after her marriage to Regnauld de Roffignac, brought Meauce into this family originally from Limousin.
A poor diplomatic choice...
Meauce is confiscated!
With the Roffignac family, Meauce developed a period of close ties with the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France. Regnauld de Roffignac was one of the closest advisors and chamberlains to John the Fearless, then Count of Nevers. From father to son, the Roffignacs of Meauce served as chamberlains to Charles V, Charles VI, and Charles VII, or, depending on the political climate, to the Dukes of Burgundy.
During the Hundred Years' War, the Roffignac family wavered between siding with the Burgundians and supporting the King of France. By playing both sides, Meauce was confiscated and entrusted to Jean de la Rivière. It wasn't until the Treaty of Amiens in 1435 and the intervention of Charles VII that the Château de Meauce was returned to Guyot de Roffignac in 1438, after a heavy ransom was paid.
To pay this ransom, a Roffignac abused his position as chamberlain and issued counterfeit money, which landed him in prison in Paris. They had long been abusing their right to salvage their ships, which would lead to a trial decided by Charles VIII himself. This trial would result in the end of the right to salvage and... the beginning of ruin for Meauce!
Despite this, the Roffignac family honorably held their positions as chamberlains throughout the late 15th century, acquiring the fiefs of Saincaize and Apremont-sur-Allier. It was at the end of this century that they undertook majestic renovations, including the grand stair tower and the large fireplace in the courtroom. In 1586, the family split in two: one branch retained Meauce until 1690, while the other branch, on the other side of the Allier River, settled in Apremont-sur-Allier. The castle there, located on the opposite bank, was briefly linked to that of Meauce. (Photo of Apremont Castle opposite, seen from the Meauce driveway).
Despite a few "coups de foudre" (moments of infatuation), Meauce gradually falls into oblivion.
Following a reversal of fortune, Meauce left the Meauce family for the first time in 1690. It was acquired by a woman, Anne Voiland, wife of Jean Baptiste de Mérigot, steward to the Duke of Nevers. Lacking an heir, Meauce was sold a second time in 1772 for 93,000 livres to the ironmaster Benoit Moreau des Marests, who undertook significant renovations, notably transforming the farmyard into a modern farmhouse. Through marriage, Meauce was fortunate enough to pass into the hands of the Tiersonnier family, many of whose members are buried in the chapel's crypt. Thanks to them, the Château was partially listed as a historical monument in 1923, but it has been uninhabited since the mid-19th century due to the lack of modern amenities.
During a nighttime parachute drop in February 1944, Jean Devaivre, the renowned resistance fighter Janus during the Nazi occupation, fell completely in love with Meauce. He would have to wait until the 1960s to see the château again, this time from the air at night. He was captivated by its view from the ground, but he would have to wait until 1971 to become its owner. Jean Devaivre was also the well-known film director of "Caroline Chérie" and "La Dame d'Onze Heure" (The Eleven O'Clock Lady). He extended the protected status of the château in 1923 and wanted to use Meauce as a film set.
But Meauce is fragmented; Devaivre only owns the round castle. He undertakes a first phase of work which generates legal difficulties that will last more than 30 years and cause the castle to fall into oblivion and once again into total abandonment.
Photo by Alain Perceval
A crazy project: The restoration of the Château de Meauce
After 150 years of neglect, Meauce was sold for the fourth time in its nearly 1000-year history to Séverine and Cédric Mignon, who carried out significant and rapid restoration work to save the castle from the ruin everyone predicted.The castle has since regained all the splendor of its long and illustrious history.
To show you all the progress of the work that has been carried out in Meauce or that is underway, we have dedicated a page to the restoration of the Château de Meauce which we invite you to consult!
