History of the site of staves(moats) (old(former) castle of Onzain): The domain of Staves(Moats), of area of about a hectare centres market town, occupies the location of an old(former) castle destroyed by the famous «black band(strip)» between 1823 and 1826\. There remains(subsists) the castrale platform (of 2000m2) surrounded with its staves(moats) in water (about 5000 m2). A garden salvo of walls, located between staves(moats) and stream of Cissereau, supplement this set(group) in indescribable charm. This site in the strategical location, in edges of the Loire and on the border of the blésois and of the Anjou-Touraine, was already very probably occupied in the year 1000\. If archives stay mutes over this period, we know that an impressive castle is rebuilt at the end of the XIVth century by the brothers Hélion and Guillaume de Neillac, close friends(relations) of the kings Charles V and VI. It stays from this campaign(countryside) a part(party) of the big chief tower built north of property. The other important campaign(countryside) of construction, which gave to the castrale platform its final aptitude(arrangements), is due to Anne de Polignac and her husband Francois II of Rochefoucault who(which) accomplish simultaneously the reconstruction of Onzain and of Rochefoucault (Charente) during the second quarter of the XVIth century. They keep(preserve) the castle of Hélion de Neillac only the big chief tower, symbol of feudal power. Very close to François 1st, who stayed several times in Onzain, they built a large castle there " L " among which both main buildings trained(formed) oriental(eastern) limits of the platform. There remains(subsists) this realisation revival the small detached house(flag) of the park and the bases of the chapel. Plantations programmed by the «garden of Staves(Moats)» will allow to visualise(display) better the volumes of the missing buildings(ships). Busy with the XVIIth century by Charles de Rostaing with big(great) projects of embellishments of the castle and who realises very important gardens (main aisle furthermore of 500m), seigniory of onzain is gathered(combined) in 1642 in that is placed next of Bury to train(form) the county of Rostaing, after agreement of the king. We do not know that few things of works realised by the different owners in the XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries. We know however that in the XVIIIth century, the Perrachon (1720-1753) family would have received Voltaire to Onzain. In any event they made realised the precious atlas hole of the earth(ground) of Onzain (1741), kept(preserved) in the local archives. At the end of the Ancien Régime, the owners follow one another very fast: Ambroise Julien Clement de Feuillet, to advise(recommend) to the parliament of bets (1753-1760), Michel Jean Hugues de Péan old(former) governor of Quebec (1760-1791), Eugene joseph Foullon d' Écotier old(former) treasurer of Guadeloupe and of Martinique (1791-1817). The return of the latter(this last) towards Guadeloupe marks the beginning of the disappearance programmed by the earth of Onzain divided up from 1817\. Destruction of the castle and housing estate of many plots of land accelerated in decade 1820 and streets harming(serving) the new houses were created in 1841\. Henry Dubin made build the house occupying the centre of the island of Staves(Moats) by 1845\. Finally, in the XXth century the known domain certain revival thanks to attentive cares and to taste very on the antiquarian Georges Viallet (1958-1997).

Château, hôtel urbain, palais, manoir, Espace naturel, parc, jardin, Lieu de spectacles, sports et loisirs, Patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, Monument historique