Château de La Verrerie A 15th-century Scottish castle in Berry

The land of Oizon belonged to the seigneury of Aubigny-sur-Nère, owned since 1421 by Jean Stuart, constable of Charles VII’s army of Scotland. Between 1495 and 1500, Bérault Stuart enlarged the old Verrerie estate, turning it into a leisure residence set between forest and pond. This new construction involved the dwelling and the shell of the chapel. A few years later, around 1520, Robert Stuart undertook a second campaign of works: entrance work, decoration of the chapel and the south wing of the gallery framed by two pavilions.

The rectangular dwelling has three levels, with a hexagonal stair tower at the center of the west façade. On the first floor, on the east side, cross-headed windows framed by cross-headed moldings can still be seen. The elongated chapel with its canted chevet is built perpendicular to the dwelling. It is easily identifiable by its narrow slate spire and high windows with pointed arches and flamboyant infill.

The doors to the staircase tower and chapel are similarly decorated: basket-handle doors topped by a pointed arch forming a tympanum, framed by pinnacles and crowned by a gable in accolade, characteristic of the early 16th century. The panelled vault and upper walls of the chapel are painted with figures alluding to the family of the patron(Robert Stuart). The roofs of the dwelling and chapel have long gables and open gables. The new gallery, built in brick in imitation of the gallery at Château de Blois, has 9 semicircular arches. Only the decorative elements are in stone: columns, arches, quoins and the frames of four windows.

All the decorative elements (scrolls, arabesques, helices, garlands, medallions and pilasters) are typically Renaissance. A Flemish influence is suggested by Jan Van Waveren ‘s signature, found in two places on the second floor of the gallery. The stair tower in the south-west corner is covered by an imperial roof.