"CHERVEUX and its Castle" a Cherveux Travel Page by vibi68

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Cherveux's Castle

Originally Cherveux's Castle was a simple feodal mound which, under the hand of Lusignan, became a fortress: of very old origin, since it was believed to have as ancestor the fairy Mélusine "Mother Lusine", the building fairy, half woman, half snake... according to the legend, as she was flying over the Poitevine area, sewed a mass of stones on a "dark moon" night, from which the fortress is said to have emerged. Either way, the house of Lusignan acquired such power during the Middle Ages that it was made possible for Guy de Lusignan to take up the throne of Cyprus and Jerusalem, island conquered by Richard Lion Heart in the beginning of the 12th century. It then was taken in 1242 by St-Louis sur Hugues XI of Lusignan which had contentions with the king who gave it to his brother Alphonse, Count of Poitou. The castle was returned to its descendants since he did submit and return it in grace as he accompanied the king in the crusades and died in combat when arriving in Egypt, in 1249. In 1303 the castle passed to Melle, then to Craon and Chalons, it was seized by the English in 1363 under the reign of Edouard III and was given to Guillaume de Felton, Poitou's Senechal. But after Guesclin's victory in 1369, the castle returned to its former owner Amaury de Craon. Then Guy of Trémoille succeeded, Chamberlain, 1st Minister and Governor of Charles VII's kingdom. Louis of Trémoille sold Cherveux in 1457 in Amaury d' Etissac which yielded it to Jean de Naydes who in his turn sold it to the Chenin family. Their daughter Louise Chenin married Robert Conningham in May 1440. Of Scottish origin and captain of the guards of the king, Cunningham had the means of raise it into its current shape around 1470. Cherveux was transmitted by marriage to Puyguyon, then to Louis of St-Gelais, Admiral of the Protestant fleet, one of the area's principal Protestant chiefs, seized Niort and was in charge of the command of Poitou's province; Henri IV appointed him after, Lieutenant General and made a frightening fortified town of it. Nevertheless it was to be taken and undergo much damage in 1569 by the Count of Lude who killed the whole garrison under the wire of his sword. Then in 1574 it passed to the Duke of Montpensier, finally in 1586, it underwent the attacks of Mr. Malicorne, Poitou's Governor. With the death of Louis of St-Gelais, his son Josué of St-Gelais became lord of Cherveux and gave the gift of one of its gardens to the reformed church in 1620, for a temple to be built in. After all these tests, the owner Charles de Saint-Gelais converts with Catholicism and prohibited the Protestant's worship in Cherveux. Following Saint-Gelais, Plessis-Chatillon, then in the 18th century the Narbonne-Pelet. When the count and countess of Narbonne Pelet died guillotined, their goods were confiscated and sold for the nation's benefit. The files were burned in the center of the court and at the peak of demolition contracters ransacked the blazons. The dwellers' access to ditches who came to have their animals drink and wash their linen avoided its complete destruction. It was tehn sold to Mr. Pierre Alloneau who prohibited access to its court and thus to the ditches in spite of the dwellers' protests, the lawsuit lasted 20 years. The descendants of this family, the Clouzot Meynier, preserved it until 1931 and sold it to Mr. and Mrs. Lucien Redien who were since 1912, farmers on the land. The Castle was classified as Historical Monument on September 16th 1929 and is to this day property of Mrs. Odette Redien and her children.

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Inside its dungeons

Today, between the plain and the Gâtine, at equal distance of Niort and Saint-Maixent, Cherveux is a small dynamic village counting 1533 dwellers and extending on 2225 hectares. Symbol of the countryside near the city, the trade, craft industry and agriculture are its principal activities. The history of Cherveux is very rich; one can still find on the plateaux dominating the Brangeard and Musson's valleys, the stone tools cut by ancestors, attesting that these grounds were already populated over a millenium before the Christian era. Some polished stone specimens, Neolithic: 5000 to 3000 BC, were also discovered. On the other hand, only very little of traces of the Roman occupation remains. The high position of the current Châtelier's farm would indicate that there was a defense dating from the Romans. Its situation made it possible to supervise the surroundings and the Brangeard's valley. Another relic of this time is the Chevalleret road formerly connecting Fontenai to Saint-Maixent, very well known by foreign travellers. The origins of Cherveux date from the feodal times; it owes its existence to a monastery which would have been settled near the feodal mound which is the castle's current site. It is difficult to date the time of the monastery's destruction, however one will notice that excavations around the vault of the monastery, current site of the church updated tombs out of stone as it is a known fact that only at the beginning of the 12th century, stone coffins were replaced by tombstones. Lastly, an old sarcophagi dating from the 11th century was found in the borough's neighbourhoods.
As for its administration, Cherveux can be seen as a true headache: it depends on the canton of Saint-Maixent, the post office of Echiré, the perception of La Crèche and the gendarmerie of Champdeniers. Moreover, Cherveux is an essential link for the community of the Communes of the Val de Sèvre. Lastly, Cherveux is a very animated village indeed, many associations ensure an active life in the village. The oldest brass band which is over a century old counts over 20 musicians and is still present at all demonstrations and fairs. The rural "Amical" club ensures activities such as football, gymnastics, cabaret, ping-pong, babygym, library club, computer club, photography clubs, "pétanque", bicycle touring, VTT and the pedestrian excursions, all available upon request. And one should not forget the Riding school, the firemen's "Amical", the fishing club "the Trout of Musson", friends of Fanas and Delta Sierra for the amateur radio operator. This dynamism continues to increase through the population since the years 1980. Lastly, its lake and 15th century castle offer great tourist attractions.