Fanspot
Castle
“Mme de Bonnivet had been talking for a long time about a trip to the depths of Poitou. She had the ancient castle restored at great expense, where the admiral of Bonnivet
had once had the honor of receiving François I, and Miss
Zohiloff was to accompany him.”
Excerpt from Armance, a novel by Stendhal
Armance is a novel by Stendhal published in 1827. It stages the difficult romance between Octave de Malivert and his heroine, who gives his name to the book. Following a serious accident, the young man has the great pain of being helpless. In spite of this, they are married. But a week after the ceremony, Octave left France for Greece where he committed suicide.
In the book, Madame de Bonnivet undertakes to restore the castle of Bonnivet in order to receive King François I and Armance de Zohiloff, not yet Armance de Malivert. Today in ruins – only a wall remains – this 15th and 16th century monument was nevertheless a very large-scale project during the Renaissance.
Waiting in vain for the success of Armance, Stendhal had the urge to commit suicide. He was well advised not to act, since the novelist subsequently published many novels, including The Red and the Black, Chroniques italiennes and The Charterhouse Of Parma.
The Bonnivet castle was 98 meters long and 30 meters high.
Bonnivet
Located in the commune of Vendoeuvre-du-Poitou in the Vienne, the château de Bonnivet dates from the 16th century.
It is from 1515 that the lord of Bonnivet had this castle built.
This monument was certainly the most ambitious project of the French Renaissance before the castle of Chambord. At the time, it was 98 m long and 30 m high.
Today, however, only ruins remain, notably the northern boundary wall of the main courtyard dating from 1660.
The Fantrippers Buying Board
Gargantua and Pantagruel
Parodying everyone from classic authors to his own contemporaries, the dazzling and exuberant stories of Rabelais expose human follies with mischievous and often obscene humor. Gargantua depicts a young giant who becomes a cultured Christian knight. Pantagruel portrays Gargantua’s bookish son who becomes a Renaissance Socrates, divinely guided by wisdom and by his idiotic, self-loving companion, Panurge.
Content quality
Interest for fans
Value for money
Discover all the places Armance on our map
By Damien Canteau
Passionné par l'Histoire, les animés, les Arts et la bande dessinée en particulier, Damien est le rédacteur en chef du site spécialisé dans le 9e art, Comixtrip.