Seneschalsy of Loudun

General presentation

The seneschalsy of Loudun was an administrative entity of the Ancien Mode. Loudun and Loudunais are located in a territory depend on the Anjou and located at the limit of two other provinces: the Touraine and the Poitou.

With the the Middle Ages and until the French revolution, the Resident of Saumur is inserted in the current Poitou including Loudun until Mirebeau in the South. Loudunais constitutes a bailliage or seneschalsy distinct, depend on the government of Saumur and Resident of Saumur as well as Généralité of Turns. Loudunais remains historically detached of the Poitou.

History

Loudun stronghold of the counts d' Anjou (986-1206) Guillaume III of Poitiers and Geoffroy of Angers clash with the locality the Saint-Paul Rocks. Geoffroy obtains the stronghold of Loudun but is vassal of Guillaume. Loudun will depend on the counts d' Anjou until 1206, date on which Philippe-Auguste attaches it to the Crown.

In 986, Guillaume III of Poitiers and Geoffroy Ier of Anjou clash with the locality the Saint-Paul Rocks, then attached to the parish of Coussay. Geoffroy obtains the stronghold of Loudun but is vassal of Guillaume. Loudun will depend on the counts of Anjou until in 1206, date on which Philippe Auguste attaches it to the Crown of France. However, Philippe-Auguste gives Loudun in guard to Guillaume of the Rocks, seneshal of Anjou and Maine, because the king of France regards Loudun as a strategic place and decides to replace old the castrum by a new fortress of powerful the Plantagenêt.

The count of Anjou Foulques Nerra (987-1040) made build a first tower to protect the South from the possessions angevines to possible incursions of the counts of Poitou. It was destroyed with an unspecified date and probably rebuilt with the hinge of XIe-XIIe centuries by its grandson Foulques IVle Réchin (1068-1109).

In 1214: Jean-without-Ground intrigue against king Philippe-Auguste, by buying the assistance of the barons poitevins: Chauvigny, Mauléons, Thouars. Jean-without-ground occupies Angers. Louis, the son of Philippe-Auguste intervenes with Moncontour of which it makes destroy the castle. On his side, Philippe-Auguste is victorious with Bouvines. He comes at once in Loudun to impose the peace of Chinon on Jean-without-Ground which must give up most of its possessions in Poitou.

In 1476, the King Rene of Anjou is constrained to conclude an agreement with Louis XI, being shown to have negotiated with Charles Bold the. Loudun is then joined together with the crown of France. Louis XI sets it up in baillage. François Ier orders that one writes the habit of Loudun. Loudunais becomes a seneschalsy. The Sénéchaussée of Loudun will depend on the governor of Saumur.

In 1542, During the creation of the General information of Turns, the Sénéchaussée of Loudun integrates this territorial whole made up by the provinces of Anjou, the Maine and the Touraine.

In 1568 the fights between Protestants and catholics begin again. Henri, king de Navarre, then 16 years old is then in Loudun with the Protestant army. The Protestants burn Collegial Holy-Cross, the convent of the church of the Carmelite friars (Saint-Hilaire-of-Martray) and the échevinage. The duke of Anjou (catholic) made the head office of Loudun to recover the city with the hands of the Protestants.

In 1569, Coligny seizes Poitiers. With the Battle of Moncontour: the duke of Anjou, future Henri III inflicts a bloody defeat with the Huguenots.

In 1584 Louis XIII, gives the order to make destroy the fortress set up by Philippe-Auguste, the palate of the duke-kings of Anjou-Sicily and the strengthened enclosure of Loudun.

In 1587, Henri de Navarre seizes Loudun as well as Vivonne, Mirebeau and Châtellerault.

In 1631, Louis XIII sends to Loudun the adviser of State Jean Martin baron de Laubardémont in order to finish the demolition of the fortress built by Philippe-Auguste, of the palate of the Duke-Kings of Anjou-Sicily, the keep and the strengthened enclosure of the city.

In 1789, the Constituent Assembly imposes the creation of departments. The delegates of Saumur and Loudun consider the creation of a department gathering the old seneschalsies of Saumur and Loudun. But of the tensions appear between the Saumur-native delegates and those of Angers. The Resident of Saumur reproaching Angevins démenteler the Anjou, by giving up a certain number of territories, in particular the area of Bourgueil (Seneschalsy of Saumur) to the Touraine. The delegates of Loudun take their distances with the representatives of Saumur. Vis-a-vis these dissensions, the Constituent Assembly, imposes the fastening of Saumur on the future department ( the Mayenne-and-Loire ) renamed Maine-et-Loire and the fastening of Loudun at the department of the Vienna

In 1790, during the creation of the French departments, the South-Resident of Saumur (seneschalsy of Loudun and country of Mirebeau dependant on the governor of Saumur) is attached to the department of the Vienna.

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