13 kilometres from Thouars, at the edge of Poitou and the Loire Valley, stands Oiron Castle, a majestic Renaissance building constructed from the 16th century onwards by Claude Gouffier, Grand Equerry to King Henry II.
A listed Historic Monument, Oiron Castle consists of a central main building from the 17th century, two 17th-century pavilions, the Trophy Pavilion and the King's Pavilion, and two wings, one from the 16th century and the other from the 17th. The large staircase with a hollow centre and the Renaissance Gallery, remarkable for its 16th-century frescoes, whose fourteen scenes depict the War of Troy and the Aeneid, feature among the castle's treasures...
Inspired by the curiosity cabinets of the Renaissance, the contemporary collection Curios & Mirabilia, which blends in admirably with the ancient heritage, turns a tour of the site into a real sensory experience, involving sight, hearing, smell and touch. Works by artists from all over the world, specially created for the estate, adorn the rooms of the castle. An unusual world full of curiosity and wonderment!
At the approach to the castle, the Collegiate Church of St. Maurice in Oiron, founded in 1518, is worth a visit for its Renaissance façade, chapels adorned with paintings, and recumbent statues of the Gouffier family.
