Étienne Ier de Blois-Champagne, comte de Sancerre, oversaw the construction of the château de Saint-Brisson between 1180 and 1200. Located on the left bank of the Loire in the commune of Saint-Brisson-sur-Loire, the castle is the Loire's most upstream fortress on the river. Built as a palais-forteresse, the current structure is a hexagonal subtriangular enclosure featuring alternating cylindrical and quadrangular towers.
The site's history dates back to at least 1061, with Probert de Saint-Brisson mentioned as a supporter of the abbey of Fleury. By 1181, Étienne Ier de Blois-Champagne held the castle in alleu. Following his death, the lands eventually passed to his brother Étienne II de Sancerre, who placed the castle under the guardianship of his uncle, Guillaume aux Blanches Mains, the archbishop of Reims.
The castle passed to the family of Nevers and subsequently to the Séguier family in 1567, when it was transformed into a residence. Sidoine Séguier, marquis de Saint-Brisson, a military man and disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, died of tuberculosis in 1773. In 1987, the last descendant of the marquis, Anne de Ranst de Berchem de Saint Brisson, bequeathed the domain to the commune of Saint-Brisson-sur-Loire.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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