Photo : Wikimedia Commons
Château de Javarzay
The Château de Javarzay is at Chef-Boutonne, in the south of the Deux-Sèvres. It is described as the first Renaissance château in Poitou, built from 1513 by François de Rochechouart, and has been listed as a historic monument since 1862.
The building houses a museum whose displays have been renewed around the theme of the 'land of geniuses'. Visitors discover 19th-century headdresses and clothes, the history of the Boutonne mills and the figure of Jean-François Cail, an industrialist born in Chef-Boutonne in 1804. The visit also covers the wall walks and the roof timbers.
The site also offers an escape game, 'Mystère au pays des génies', launched in 2025, a reception room and holiday cottages. Nearby, a lake, wash houses, the Maison des lavandières, the Church of Saint-Chartier and an arboretum complete the discovery of this village on the Boutonne.
