Such a beautiful and historic place that has seen so much on its journey. Take the time to explore the vast land and learn about what was in the 1300's. The commune has done some since being grabted ownership in 2021 by providing walking routes with some historical information in both french and english, however we hoped that more would have been done for the restoration of such a magnificent structure and something so poignant to area.
We were passing through this place on put way from Angoulême to Saint-Saud and can actually say we preferred this outstanding place too Anguoleme... it is totally under rated, quiet but close too emenities and set up for campers. The history here far superseeds that of Angoulême and even in its current state, attracted us. We are nature and history lovers and are so glad we took the day to explore the area. Over a 12km circular route you can admire all the historical sites as well as taking into account modernisation of the town, farm land and airstrip. We highly recommend a stop here on any adventure.
We learned the admirable history of this place, from love stories to parental control, yet we were sad to learn its fate on February 5, 1941, it was accidentally burned down by the germans during the war. All that remains today are the monumental foundations on which the castle was built, as well as the Orangery building. Not forgetting further down on our walk the chapel and graveyard which you should also visit...
The history:
In the 9th century, a large square tower stood, a fortress belonging to the Villebois family, which guarded the old feudal road from Angoulême to Périgueux. In the 13th century, a second castle built by the La Rochebeaucourt family on the other side of the road completed the system. In 1345, Ytier de Villebois refused to open the castle to the English during the Hundred Years' War, but two squires reportedly handed it over to them in 1349. In 1372, Ytier de Villebois took advantage of the Angoulême revolt to free the place and expel the English garrison.
In the 15th century, mullioned windows were pierced. In the 16th century, François de La Rochebeaucourt had the large square tower razed, terraces installed, and the orangery built. King Charles IX stayed there in 1565.
In 1790, the ceiling of the orangery was said to have been “broken and fallen into several parts”.
Pauline de Tourzel, daughter of the Duchess of Tourzel, who accompanied her mother, governess of the children of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette from August 1789 to 1795, married in 1797 the Marquis Alexandre Galard de Béarn, owner of the castle, and lived there until his death in 1839. The neo-classical style triumphal arch built in 1840 on the "Allée Verte" of the park is dedicated by her husband to her memory and her virtue.
In 1850, all that remained of this castle was a dwelling surrounded by round towers with crenellations and machicolations topped with pepperpot roofs.
Between 1853 and 1859, Louis-Hector de Galard de Brassac de Béarn, diplomat and senator of the Empire, had the castle destroyed and a modern one built by the Parisian architect Pierre-Charles Dusillion (1804-1878) and the Angoumois entrepreneur Nicolas, whom he then sued for poor workmanship. A set of glass plate photographs by Léo Justin Laffargue (AD of the Dordogne ) show the castle at this time. The Galard de Béarn family remained its owners until 1892.
In May-June 1792, while the furniture of the castle was sold at the request of Mr. Cousin in the name of a minor, the manor was thus described by the manager Boulland: "one of the most substantial in its shape and its extent... flanked by two towers, one of which is adorned with battlements, entirely covered...
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