Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Oiron

Charles VII of France known in French as "le Bien-Servi", what is "the Well-Served", must have been indeed well served, as in 1449 he gave the village and the forest of Oiron to Guillaume Gouffier, who was his "valet de chambre". From then on the Gouffier family played an interesting role in the following centuries. Guillaume Gouffier had a château built here, but it was his son Artus, a diplomat for Francis I, who, impressed by the Italian Renaissance, updated it to the "new style". His wife Helene de Hengest was responsible for the construction of the collegiate church Saint-Maurice. This stuffed crocodile is one of the most unusual pieces of decoration, I even found in a European church. I was so impressed, that I could not resist to upload two photos... According to information given in Oiron, just a century ago the villagers rubbed the jaws of the crocodile to combat fever. Actually a part of the lower jaw is gone. The story goes, that Artus´ younger brother Admiral Guillaume Gouffier de Bonnivet brought the crocodile to Oiron. Artus was a friend and powerful favourite of Francis I of France. He had three sons, all named Francis. Guillaume was known for bravado and brilliant wit. He was a womanizer and it is widely believed, that he was the hero in a story of the Heptameron, written by Francis I´s sister Marguerite d'Angoulême, who was also courted by him. He died at the Battle of Pavia in 1525.

Charles VII of France known in French as "le Bien-Servi", what is "the Well-Served", must have been indeed well served, as in 1449 he gave the village and the forest of Oiron to Guillaume Gouffier, who was his "valet de chambre". From then on the Gouffier family played an interesting role in the following centuries. Guillaume Gouffier had a château built here, but it was his son Artus, a "grand maître de France", diplomat for Francis I, who, impressed by the Italian Renaissance, updated it to the "new style". His wife Helene de Hengest was responsible for the construction of the collegiate church Saint-Maurice. The large collegiate church served as the burial place for the Gouffier family. This is the tomb of Artus Gouffier, According to Wikipedia he was "Duke of Roannez and pair de France, count of Étampes, count of Caravaggio, baron of Passavant, of Maulévrier, of Roanne, of la Mothe-Saint-Romain, of Bourg-Charente and of Saint-Loup, Lord of Oiron, of Villedieu-sur-Indre, of Valence and of Cazamajor." Very impressive! His tomb got vandalized during the French Revolution. While the heads of the small mourning persons got chipped off, the large, white marble effigy is comparably intact. In the background are the choir stalls, where the monks had to pray for the salvation of their noble patrons. The motto of the Gouffier family, carved into the facade of the church, was "Hic Terminus Haeret" (here is the end), what fits perfectly to a burial place.

Charles VII of France known in French as "le Bien-Servi", what is "the Well-Served", must have been indeed well served, as in 1449 he gave the village and the forest of Oiron to Guillaume Gouffier, who was his "valet de chambre". From then on the Gouffier family played an interesting role in the following centuries. Guillaume Gouffier had a château built here, but it was his son Artus, a diplomat for Francis I, who, impressed by the Italian Renaissance, updated it to the "new style". His wife Helene de Hengest was responsible for the construction of the collegiate church Saint-Maurice. Knowing, that the village of Oiron has less than 1000 inhabitants, the church seems very large - and empty. This church served as the burial place for the Gouffier family. Four tombs with effigies can be found in the transept.

Approaching the village of Orion - power made visible! Charles VII of France known in French as "le Bien-Servi", what is "the Well-Served", must have been indeed well served, as in 1449 he gave the village and the forest of Oiron to Guillaume Gouffier, who was his "valet de chambre". From then on the Gouffier family played an interesting role in the following centuries. Guillaume Gouffier had a château built here, but it was his son Artus, a diplomat for Francis I, who, impressed by the Italian Renaissance, updated it to the "new style". His wife Helene de Hengest was responsible for the construction of the large collegiate church, seen next to the château. Artus´ son Claude Gouffier served as "Grand Écuyer de France" to Henry II. Artus was a famous collector, founded a "Wunderkammer", was married five times and was the model for "Marquis de Carabas" from the story "Puss in Boots" by Charles Perrault. Even genious Blaise Pascal, a very close friend of Charlotte Gouffier, spent considerable time at the Château d'Oiron. The Château d'Oiron was sold to Madame de Montespan, Louis XIV´s mistress, who lived here, when her career had ended. During the French Revolution the château was ransacked by Revolutionaries. Finally the Goverment of France French took possession in the 1930s. Now here is a museum dedicated to contemporary art, that was closed, when I stopped here.