17km from Orleans, near Chambord, the castle of Meung was, until the Revolution, the prestigious residence of the bishops of Orleans and welcomed some great names in French history.
Everything begins with the first castle, which served as the framework for the treaty of 861 between Robert le Fort ("the Strong") and king Charles le Chauve (the Bald), which marked the start of the ascent of the Capetian dynasty.
The Meung castle was also a strategic location in the conflict between the English and the French during the Hundred Years war: Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc) released it after her victory in Orléans in 1429.
Many kings stopped there such as François I and Louis XI.
The castle experienced times of great glory, especially on the eve of the Revolution when the bishop of Orleans, Jarente de la Bruyère invested his entire fortune in it to recreate a small Versailles.
The castle also had its dark side when it served as a prison.
Its most famous prisoner was the poet François Villon.
Purchased during the Revolution by one of the founders of the Banque de France, for several years now, the castle of Meung has been a private residence open for tours.