Little journal of friends of Montautre - n° 19

Dear friends of Montautre,

As the season has just ended, here is the nineteenth issue of the " Little Journal of the Friends of Montautre ". If you wish to unsubscribe, please do not hesitate to ask us, as you can also find the first 15 issues of the "Little Journal" on our website www.chateau-de-montautre.fr , under the news/blog section.

0. News

Thanks to a team effort initiated by Ronan Le Gallo , a direct descendant of the Mondin de Montautre family , with the collaboration of Joël Leroy , a friend passionate about the site, and myself, we have written a Wikipedia page about your favorite castle! Here are the first lines:

You can find the full article at the following link: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Montautre . As you know, Wikipedia is a collaborative encyclopedia, so your comments, criticisms, and suggestions are welcome by email for future versions!

1. Gallo-Roman period:

Following the excavations supervised by Jean-Pierre Loustaud and the DRAC ( Fabien Loubignac and Hélène Mousset ), we presented the strange perforated stone found by our three archaeologists to Roger Crédot , the prehistorian who identified and excavated the various prehistoric sites in the area. He believes it to be a spindle whorl , that is, the disc of terracotta, stone, or metal used from the Bronze Age until the early Middle Ages for spinning wool, hemp, etc., before the invention of the spinning wheel. Given the material (stone), his hypothesis is a Gallo-Roman date. However, the relatively small size of the object makes Fabien Loubignac of the DRAC doubt this. The mystery therefore remains: further analysis and research are needed!

2. Medieval period:

An incredible discovery was made in the attic of a private residence in the Indre region: a drawing of the Château de Montautre, created in the first half of the 19th century by Elie de Beaufort . Even though the drawing was clearly done "from memory," as several proportions and shapes are inaccurate, it can be deduced that the main tower of the guardroom still had its pepperpot roof and that the building which now houses the library and games room had not yet been built. These two additions, previously thought to date from the 18th century, would therefore have occurred in the second half of the 19th century (they are already visible in the old photograph taken around 1900).

3. Restoration in progress

The restoration of the turret and chapel, which began over a year ago, is nearly complete. Finishing touches remain inside the turret, and the restoration of the chapel's frescoes should begin in early December. See for yourself the quality of the result! Many thanks to the teams at EP Charpente (roofing and framing) and Blanchon (masonry) for the excellent work they have done: it's truly a pleasure to see!

As part of this project, which is supported by a Heritage Foundation label, the remaining tasks include restoring the gate between the upper and lower courtyards, repairing the bread oven vault, restoring the door between the chapel and sacristy, and replastering the exterior façade of the guardhouse. Your support and generosity have deeply touched us over the past two years. They can still help us complete the project: so, if you wish to reduce your 2024 taxes, please don't hesitate to continue this wonderful show of solidarity in preserving our heritage. We are still aiming for 20% of the total cost of the work to be covered by your donations ( https://www.fondation-patrimoine.org/les-projets/lacaze-montautre-2021-fromental/78692 ).

4. Outlook 2025

Could Montautre soon be listed on the Supplementary Inventory of Historical Monuments? The good news this week is that the Château de Montautre is indeed on the agenda of the Standing Committee, which will examine the application of your favorite château on February 18, 2025. This committee will issue an initial opinion before the CRPA's plenary session in Bordeaux, which will make the final decision on the proposal. Stay tuned!

Thank you for your loyalty. And thank you for your comments, dear friends of Montautre . We are eternally grateful for your feedback and support. Please be assured of your warmest welcome in Montautre whenever you're in the area. Give us a shout, or let Kitty and Adri, who continue to maintain this site we love so much, know that we're here.

See you soon !

Kind regards

Serge