Two Angevin strongholds stand in the middle of Berry, between royal Bourges and Vierzon to the east and north and Andre de Chauvigny's Chateauroux to the south-west.
Issoudun, on the Theols, was taken by Philip in 1187-1188, left French by the treaty of Azay in 1189 and given back to Richard by the treaty of Gaillon in 1196; Richard began its great cylindrical keep, the Tour Blanche. Gracay guards the road from Vierzon to Poitou. Both are John's on 1 January 1200 and both are on the table in the peace talks: at Le Goulet on 22 May they pass to Louis as the dowry of Blanche of Castile.
Who he is
- Name
- John's castellans (names not pinned)
- Title
- Castellans of Issoudun and Gracay
- Since
- Richard recovered both by the treaty of Gaillon (January 1196); John holds them as his heir since April 1199
- Born
- not applicable
- Family
- Not applicable. The town of Issoudun also had hereditary lords of the Deols kin under the overlord; their holder in 1200 is not pinned.
- Confidence
- medium
fr.wikipedia (Issoudun): French by the treaty of Azay (1189), English by Gaillon (1196), Philip's by Le Goulet (1200); the Tour Blanche built 1195-1202 and attributed to Richard.
Overlord
John, as Richard's heir, holding of Philip II
What it holds
- Issoudun: castle with the new Tour Blanche, town and castellany
- Gracay: castle and castellany
How it was acquired
By the treaty of Gaillon (Louviers), January 1196.
Allies and rivals
Faces the royal garrisons of Bourges, Vierzon and Dun-le-Roi; Andre de Chauvigny, nominally John's man in Berry, has turned to Philip.
How things stand that morning
Held for John. A truce between John and Philip is in force into January and no fighting in Berry is recorded in 1199, so no raiding belt is drawn; the two castles are Angevin enclaves surrounded by Capetian and pro-Capetian ground.
Wealth
Issoudun's market and the grain and sheep of the Champagne berrichonne; no figures.
Military
Issoudun's walled castle and the unfinished Tour Blanche; Gracay castle. Garrisons not known.
Threats
- Surrender under the peace
- A Capetian attack if the truce lapses before peace is made
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 22 May 1200Ceded at Le Goulet to Louis as Blanche's dowry; Philip's men take over and finish the Tour Blanche.Depends on: The peace and the Castilian marriage. Stopped by: War resuming; then both stay Angevin and become the front line of a Berry war.
Places of note
- Tour Blanche: Richard's great keep, built 1195-1202
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Possession by treaty is clear; castellans and garrisons are not known.
On the map: Castellany extents are approximate.
Primary sources for Angevin lands
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Alberic of Trois-Fontaines, Alberic of Trois-Fontaines (about 1227 to 1241, at the Cistercian abbey of Trois-Fontaines in Champagne). The widest net of any Latin chronicle for 1200, compiled from dozens of sources, many now lost. Read online
- Chronicles of Saint-Martial of Limoges, Bernard Itier and other monks of Saint-Martial; Geoffrey of Vigeois for the earlier chronicle (Geoffrey's chronicle to 1184; Bernard Itier's notes about 1195 to 1225). Bernard Itier, librarian of Saint-Martial, kept dated notes through 1200 of what reached Limoges: Richard's death at Chalus in 1199, the viscounts of Limoges and the lords of the Limousin, John's passage through Aquitaine in 1200 and the affairs of Angouleme and the Lusignans, and the abbey's own elections and prices. Read online
- Chronicles of the Churches of Anjou (Saint-Aubin, Saint-Serge, Saint-Florent and others), Various (monks of Angers and the Loire) (11th to 13th centuries; the Saint-Aubin annals run to the 1220s). The Angevin houses' own annals of the succession crisis in their city: Arthur received at Angers in 1199 with Constance and the Breton and Angevin barons, John's counter-moves, the defection of William des Roches and the Angevin lords to John, and the peace of 1200 that left Arthur John's vassal. Read online
- The Great Chronicle of Tours, Anonymous (a canon of Saint-Martin of Tours) (about 1227). The Loire valley's view of the Angevin succession. Read online
- Universal Chronicle of the Anonymous of Laon, Anonymous (an English-born canon of Laon) (about 1219). A Picard chronicle whose author had lived in England and keeps an eye on both kingdoms. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
- Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
- English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
14 more in the sources library for France and Iberia.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.