Château d'Ensigné in Deux-Sèvres was founded in the 12th century by Hugues de Payns and later served as a commandery of the Order of Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem with substantial income of 7,000 livres in 1716. Originally designed as a rectangular main building with four defensive towers and a central stairwell, the château retains two large towers commanding an old entrance with drawbridge, while underground vaulted rooms and a well remain intact. Following centuries of protection by the Hospitallers until the Revolution, the upper floors were adapted into a 19th-century bourgeois residence before recent restoration efforts. Today, the revived manor stands as a testament to medieval military design and religious military orders.
