Château de Courcelles-le-Roi
Near the forest of Orleans, in the Commune of Courcelles-le-Roi, is the castle of the same name. This ancient castle, founded between the 11th and 12th centuries, was part of the Boiscommun castellany, belonged to the royal domain and was a place of pleasure and relaxation for the French Court.
In the 11th and 12th centuries, Courcelles-le-Roi was a royal châtellenie, frequently visited by the kings of France. In the 14th century,
Philippe VI de Valois donated the castle to Nicolas de Braque, his grand silversmith. The feudal castle, destroyed during the Hundred Years' War, was rebuilt in 1389 by Jean Braque as an imposing fortress. Dismantled by the English in 1424, Georges de Brilhac, advisor and chamberlain to the Duke of Orléans, raised it from the ruins. The château was looted during the French Revolution. It subsequently fell into disrepair: the west tower collapsed in 1880, and the roof of the west wing caught fire during the Second World War and collapsed. The current owners are committed to preserving and reviving the remains of this mansion.