Château de Blandy-les-Tours 3.02

The Château de Blandy-les-Tours is a medieval castle in the village of Blandy-les-Tours (Seine-et-Marne, France); it is about 5 km from the château de Vaux-le-Vicomte and 10 km from Melun. The castle is in the middle of the village. Its restoration began in 1992.HistoryThe site was previously a Merovingian necropolis.It was mentioned in a text in 1216. It belonged to Adam II de Chailly, Viscount of Melun and consisted of a simple manor; inside was a chapel, the only construction made of stone.In the 14th century, the castle was strongly modified with new fortifications and structures of defence: a moat was dug and a new gate-tower with a drawbridge was included in the enclosing wall. The kings Charles V (1364 - 1380) and Charles VI (1380 - 1422) financed the transformation into a castle for the successive owners of the castle, the counts de Tancarville Jean II and his grandson Guillaume IV. A high keep, defended by two drawbridges, was built. The curtain wall was modified by the addition of new towers. All these modifications took place during the Hundred Years' War.However, the castle of Blandy-les-Tours was rebuilt in the 16th century by François II of Orleans. The castle consequently became a residence. The princess of Cleves married there in 1572 in the presence of the future Henry IV. But, the castle often changed owner and worsened gradually with various dwellings inside the enclosure.