Symbols of power

Medieval castles, five of them in this small town of Chauvigny, all symbols of power of a bygone age.

Chauvigny is situated on a high promontory over the River Vienne, the only medieval settlement of its kind in Europe, so the promotional literature says.  The five fortresses are grouped inside a single outer wall and overlooked by the belfry of St Peter's Church.

Left to right in the view above: Château Baronial, Château d'Harcourt, St Peter's Church, Château de Gouzon, The other two fortresses, Flins and Montléon don't show on this picture.  The tower of Flins is now a private residence while Montléon has all but disappeared by being incorporated into more recent buildings.

But as with many symbols of power, they have crumbled over time.

Taken over gradually by vegetation ...

 ... and other wildlife.

A two-in-one post for the Photo Hunts. 

It was a bright and sunny morning ...

... one day last week.  An unusual event this winter, so to celebrate I decided a visit to Chauvigny was a good idea.  The old part of Chauvigny was a medieval town which grew up on a high rocky outcrop overlooking the river Vienne.  Uniquely, it had five different fortresses within the ramparts, along with an imposing church.  The idea was to visit it and return via Saint Savin.  By the the half way point, it was fairly clear that there was no bright and sunny morning in Chauvigny.

The top of the imposing church was lost in the mists.

As was the Château de Gouzon.  Everywhere was deserted, probably because it was bitterly cold.

The Château baronial, they helpfully said on a nearby noticeboard, the least well preserved of the five fortresses. Preservation isn't a word I'd associate with this "château", at all.

I had a look at the much vaunted panorama over the town and river (I think the river was there).

I sat down to have a think but I was stone cold by this time and decided to go home, not stopping in Saint Savin for any length of time because it turned out to be shut.  I'll return on a sunny day.