Autry-le-Châtel
A village of character in the Loiret region, Autry-le-Châtel is a small village in the Pays Fort region, bordering Sologne and near the Loire Valley. The Notre Heure, Rousson and Aquiaulne rivers flow through the commune, which is set in a bucolic, landscaped environment.
Autry-le-Châtel adds to these natural riches a heritage inherited from its long past, when two important lordships shared its territory. In fact, as early as the 11th century, the Counts of Sancerre built a castle in the upper part of the village, which paid a heavy price during the successive wars since feudalism. Of this castle, which was in the hands of powerful families, only the remains of the Old Castle remain today. In the lower part of the village (formerly called Autry-la-Ville), the second seigniory or Petit-Château has kept its noble house built at the end of the 15th century. And at the top, the church of St. Etienne, rebuilt in the 19th century, dominates the village established on the hillside and in the valley with its high stature.
