Châteaumeillant
Château
de Culan
Attractions
Archaeological
Museum Emile Chenon
This museum, established in 1961 by archaeologist Jacques Gourvest, is
housed in a 14th Century building on a quiet side street within
the town. It contains considerable amounts of ceramic and other materials
that were recovered in the late 1950s from the excavations of the ancient
settlement of Mediolanium, (the
Roman name for Châteaumeillant) a fortified Gallic stronghold that
covered 18 hectares and was protected by from attack by a earthen levée.
Of interest to wine lovers is the collection of the 300 plus amphorae
found around the region and a huge wooden wine press, both of which help illustrate
its importance as a wine producing region for the past 2,000 years.
It is open all year from Tuesday to Saturday (10h00-12h00 and
15h00-18h00). Opening times may vary depending on season and it is closed on
public holidays. It opens on Sundays during July and August. There is a
modest entrance fee.
L’église
Saint-Genès
Châteaumeillant
Acknowledged
as one of the first Romanesque sanctuaries in the Berry and used as a stop
off point for pilgrims on the route of Saint Jacques de Compostelle. Its
foundations date back to the end of the 11th Century. At 52
metres long, it’s enormous in comparison to the town's population, but
indicates the importance of Châteaumeillant in centuries past.
La
Maison de George Sand
Nohant-Vic
T: + 33 2 54 31 06 04
Twenty
kilometres west of Châteaumeillant itself, just north of the town Le Châtre,
is the pretty hamlet of Nohant. It is famous as the residence of the
novelist George Sand (1804 – 1876). Sand, whose given name was Amandine
Aurore Lucile Dupin, was born in Paris, but was raised in Nohant for much
of her childhood by her grandmother following the accidental death of here
father. She inherited the house at the age of 19. She adopted the
pseudonym George Sand in 1832, writing romantic novels in a rural setting
and taking her childhood experiences as inspiration. From 1837 until her
death, Sand spent many summers here, writing some of her most famous
novels, such as La Petite Fadette (1849) and entertaining many of the famous artists
of the time, including Balzac, Liszt and Chopin (who lived with Sands at
the house for several years in the 1840s. Her remains are buried in a
small walled cemetery between the small church and the house's famous
garden.
Château de Culan
Culan
T: + 33 2 48 56 66 66
T: + 33 8 26 95 18 18
F: + 33 9 57 66 67 67
castle@culan.net
www.culan.net
Culan is a
small town about 15 kilometres east of Châteaumeillant. It lies on the
north bank of the river Arnon. On a rocky crag at the eastern edge of the
town sits an impressive 12th Century fortified Château
which post-dates an original wooden structure that was erected in the 10th
Century. During the Revolution, its land was confiscated and given over to
local villagers, whilst the Château itself was appropriated as a national
property.
Office
du Tourisme - Châteaumeillant
69, rue
de la Libération
18370 Châteaumeillant
Tél. / Fax : + 33 2 48 61 39 89
Ot.chateaumeillant@wanadoo.fr
www.ot.chateaumeillant.free.fr