The presence of the poet's ancestors is attested from the end of the 14th century. A troglodyte stronghold in the Middle Ages, La Possonnière was built in step with the family's social ascension. The grandfather of Pierre de Ronsard, in the service of King Louis XI, was behind the construction of the manor.

The most important character is undoubtedly Loys Ronsard, the poet's father, butler to François and Henri, the sons of François I. He brought the early Renaissance style embellishment conforming to the new taste of his contemporaries, as well as new constructions which have now disappeared. In addition to the sculptures adorning the facades of the old cellars and the main house, French and Latin inscriptions combine Epicureanism and Stoicism.

The flagship element of this period is the monumental fireplace preserved in one of the rooms on the ground floor of the manor: almost each sculpture tells us about the man that Loys was. Coats of arms of the different members of the family are painted on the walls of this same room: dating from the second part of the 16th century, they extend the history of this family.

From the 17th century the stronghold became the property of the Château-Renaults, then the d'Estaings, before being taken over by a family in the 19th century: several developments from this period in no way detract from the charm of the place. Private until the year 2000, the site was purchased by the conurbation authority Territoires vendômois since January 2017.

The first floor of the manor has been accessible to the public since 2007. No longer of historical interest, it is dedicated to the life and work of Pierre de Ronsard and/or to temporary exhibitions by contemporary artists.

Troglodyte rooms

At the beginning the stronghold was probably only made up of rooms dug into the limestone rock, the tuffeau. Becoming common towards the end of the Middle Ages, their entrances were embellished with early Renaissance style sculptures like the south facade of the manor. As for the inscriptions, they mostly indicate the function of each room: wine cellar, kitchen-bakery, etc.

Gardens

The north courtyard, originally a simple lower courtyard giving access to the main courtyard to the south, was redeveloped into gardens in 2020. This creation is freely inspired by the vocabulary of the Renaissance and the plants dear to the poet: labyrinth, vegetable gardens, vineyards, bosco and rose gardens offer a beautiful plant setting.

The wooded park

Educational trail in part of the Gâtine woods above the south courtyard (approximately 1/2 hour walk) decorated with panels on flora and fauna and extracts from Ronsard's poems on nature. Accessible to visitors with their entry ticket.

The author of the poem known to all, “Mignonne lets see if the rose…”, was born here on September 11, 1524. Younger son of Loys, he did not inherit the estate. The majority of his life was spent in Paris, having become poet of kings at the age of thirty.

He spent a large part of his childhood here and left La Possonnière for good in 1544. He always kept a strong attachment to his native Vendômois. The surrounding nature, the Gâtine forest, the Loir river, the

troglodyte pieces, natural fountains will be one of his first sources of poetic inspiration and will become the poet's confidants in the face of his romantic “disappointments”. He had the opportunity to stay again in the vicinity of his birthplace towards the end of his life before passing away in 1585 in his priory of Saint Cosme near Tours.

Opening of the Birthplace of Ronsard:

From 28/03 to 14/06 and from 19/09 to 03/11: Thursday to Sunday and public holidays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

From 15/06 to 15/09: every day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Last access to the ticket office at 5:30 p.m.

Individual rates:

Full price: 6.50 €

Reduced rate (students under 25, unemployed, people with reduced mobility): 5,00 €

Free: under 15s, guide-lecturer (on presentation of the card), journalists (on presentation of the press card)

Annual pass: 10,00 € (unlimited access during the season, excluding special events)

Group rates:

Unit price less than 20 people: 6,50 €

Unit price for more than 20 people (1 free entry for the 21st person): 5,00 €

Payment method:

Cash, credit card, check, holiday voucher

Visit conditions:

Self-guided tour with brochure (French, English) or audio guide (French, English, German)

Guided tour in French at 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. (subject to guide availability)

Guided tour of the gardens: from June to September (dates to be determined)

Group visits by reservation 

The +: quiz game for children aged 7 and over (free)