Prepare your visit

Éd. Geste, in French and English

Quatrième de couverture :

Montrésor, more than just a castle, is a unique site in Touraine, which now boasts the coveted label ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France’ (The Most Beautiful Villages of France). Here, the shadow of Foulques Nerra still hides behind the double surrounding walls and towers of the feudal castle; here, the roofs of the Renaissance residence and old houses reflected in the Indrois river below the village remind us of historic Touraine.
The history of Montrésor Castle is closely intertwined with that of medieval France in its early centuries, then with Imbert de Batarnay, chamberlain to four kings of France in the early 16th century, before passing to several noble families, until the Branicki family in the mid-19th century, whose Count Xavier was the first to fall under the spell of Montrésor. It is the descendants of this wealthy Polish nobleman who today perpetuate the memory of Montrésor Castle. This family castle has retained its charm and authenticity with its original furniture and an important collection of Italian paintings. A treasure to be discovered in the pages of the first book entirely devoted to it.

Éd. Dupuis, in French

In ‘Le Sire de Montrésor’, Peyo offers a dynamic adventure in which Pirlouit finds himself unwittingly on the throne of Montrésor following a thrilling chase. This case of mistaken identity allows the Belgian author to create an excellent atmosphere of tension and to explore with finesse the fickleness of crowds, capable of cheering and then condemning the same man depending on the circumstances.

The episode also stands out for its successful blend of intrigue and comedy. Peyo introduces Dame Gwendoline, a wicked stepmother who desperately pursues Pirlouit, creating burlesque situations in which the little minstrel does everything he can to escape this ‘dragon’. These comical sequences perfectly lighten the dramatic tension while revealing Peyo’s talent for handling humour and action in the same story.

From Batarnay to Montrésor, Ymbert de Batarnay: the destiny of a Dauphinois in the 15th and 16th centuries

Éd. IDC imprimerie, in French

With this work, Denis Deroux delivers a true historical rehabilitation of Imbert de Bathernay, an unjustly overlooked figure in French history. Far from limiting himself to Imbert’s status as the grandfather of Diane de Poitiers, the author reveals the full stature of this Grand Seigneur of the Dauphiné region through meticulous research. By methodically combing through ancient archives, Deroux reconstructs the exceptional life of a man who lived through four reigns, from Louis XI to Francis I, a pivotal period between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

The book stands out for its rigorous documentation and its ability to shed light on a complex era through the unique destiny of Ymbert de Bathernay. Denis Deroux does not merely paint a biographical portrait, but offers a true immersion into 15th- and 16th-century France. This wealth of knowledge, meticulously compiled, allows readers to grasp the political and social issues of a major transitional period in our history, making this book an essential reference for anyone interested in this pivotal era.