[2] On the site of the castle, an older Carolingian aula was built during the 9th or early 10th century for the Count of Anjou[3] and was owned at one point by King Robert I of France before his death in 923.

Around 950, the building was fortified by the Theobald I, Count of Blois by adding an upper floor with external entrance above the old aula,[5] which was converted to a cellar.

[1] Evidence for the conversion during the 10th century is graffiti of that time written by an unknown man named Aimeri - all that is known about him is that he devoted this graffiti to King Louis the Pious.

[6] Around 1000, the entire structure was buried within a motte (an earth mound) that was 5 metres (16 ft) tall and a donjon (keep) was built atop it.

[1] The motte was then known as "Motte de la Chapelle" and in 1966, the motte was going to be leveled by Michel de Boüard,[2] but when a mechanical device gutted the mound and uncovered traces of masonry, the site was stopped and the ruins were excavated and it was made a historical monument on 19 December 1973.