Messais

The ancient village, known since the High Middle Ages, sits opposite the famous Donjon de Moncontour above the gentle Prepson valley. Let yourself be lulled by the nuanced landscape of wooded knolls and cool valleys. Discover the remains of a priory built by the monks of Saint-Philibert-de-Grandlieu, where the monk-historian Ermetaire is said to have been buried around 870. The Montigny estate, on the edge of the village woods, boasts a château that belonged to the Ridouard family in the 19th century. Maxime Ridouard, born in Messais in 1865, became mayor of Moncontour in 1892 and general councillor for the Vienne department. The estate is also said to have been a hunting lodge under Louis XIII. The presence of an old aviary dating from the late 17th century would confirm this status.