Château des Ducs de La Trémoille

It is located on a strategic defense point -a promontory above the Thouet river- and consists of the main building, an inner court, an orangery, a chapel and a stable.

The first known reference to the city of Thouars is dated 762, in a document describing how a fortress was taken and then razed to the ground by Pepin the Short.

Later reconstructed -it is regularly mentioned from the 10th century- the castle was again partially destroyed in 1158 by Henry II of England coveting the lands of Thouars's viscounty which would be an important stronghold during the Hundred Years' War.

The chapel is of flamboyant gothic style for the lower part and influenced by Italian Renaissance for the upper gallery and was designed by several architects including André Amy and Jean Chahureau.

It was designated as a collegiate church in 1515 by Pope Leo X and hosted a relic of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

[1] The project was entrusted to Jacques Lemercier, an architect of King Louis XIII of France and famous for his work on the Château de Richelieu, Versailles, the Louvre and the Chapel of la Sorbonne in Paris.

[4] Attracted by being at the court of Louis XIV of France, the members of the House of La Tremoille later neglected the castle in favour of their Parisian residency.

In 1692 the Duke Charles Belgique Hollande de La Tremoille started an extension of the gardens that was terminated in 1705.

After the beginning of World War 2 the factory of Charles Rusz, which produced for the French Army, moved from Asnières to Thouars in the orangery because it was too exposed to bombing.

At this time, some workers took part in a clandestine organization, the OS-680, which aimed to mobilize public opinion, collect weapons, construct explosive devices, and sabotage factory production.