Château de Beaumont
Description
The Château de Beaumont is a ruined medieval fortress located in Beaumont Saint-Cyr, in the Vienne department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. Built atop a 140-meter-high tuffeau cliff, it overlooks the Clain Valley by about 60 meters, providing a strategic vantage point over the Tours–Poitiers road. The site now lies among vineyards near the old village center.
The earliest known reference to a lord of Beaumont dates back to 1069, with the “castrum” first mentioned in 1123 and the main tower in 1237. The castle was likely the seat of a châtellenie under the barony of Colombiers.
The remaining structure includes a partially ruined Romanesque tower with a near-square layout measuring approximately 13.5 by 14 meters. In the 15th century, Aimery de Brisay added a spiral staircase tower and several turrets with cannon slits. While these additions were meant for defense, their poor internal connectivity made them of limited tactical use.
About 60 meters south of the main tower lies the motte, which once supported a second rectangular donjon, now collapsed and buried. A remnant of the original wall remains visible, and the site includes an underground passage accessible through a 19th-century quarry.
Nearby stood the Chapel of Saint George, mentioned as early as 1032 in church records. Though only ruins remain today, the Château de Beaumont offers a glimpse into the area's feudal past and architectural evolution.