Saint-Michel Festival of Lignac

A patronal festival at the foot of a fortress

The Saint-Michel Festival is held in the village of Château Guillaume, a hamlet in the commune of Lignac, around September 29, the feast day of Saint Michael. The village owes its name to the fortress founded in the 11th century by William X, Count of Poitou and Duke of Aquitaine, father of Eleanor, which was later renovated in the 19th century by a disciple of Viollet-le-Duc. The hamlet preserves a Romanesque keep, houses with external staircases, and a small Romanesque church.

Flea market, refreshments, and mass

The Berry Province tourist calendar lists the event among its flea markets and garage sales: exhibitors set up in the village streets for the day, with refreshments and food available on-site. The site is wheelchair accessible. The Saint-Michel mass is celebrated in the hamlet's church, followed by a reception. It will still be held in 2025, even though the main festival is cancelled due to construction work.

Visiting the castle on the day of the festival

Château Guillaume is open for tours from June to the end of September, Tuesday to Sunday from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., with online booking available via Châteaux France. A 1.7 km discovery trail circles the site.

Lignac, between Brenne and the Anglin valley

Lignac is a commune in the west of the Indre department, within the Brenne Regional Natural Park. The Lignac festival committee also organizes the Saint-Christophe festival at the end of July and an agricultural festival in August.