In 2010 I visitedDordogne For the first time and I decided to get there fromParis way Loire valleyAnyone who has visited the Loire Valley knows that many of the most famous castles there, such as Chambord and Chenonceau, were built during the Renaissance. The Dordogne, on the other hand, is a completely different story. Most of the castles there were built in the early Middle Ages (11th-12th centuries) or the late Middle Ages (15th century), so when you travel there you will see quite a few fortresses, such as this castle that I photographed while stopping for a moment in the village of La Chapelle Faucher.
So when I arrived at Château de Puyguilhem, located in the northern Dordogne, I thought for a moment that my GPS had gotten confused and brought me to the Loire Valley. What stood before me was a sublime Renaissance chateau that would not have put Francis I to shame! It was only after I began to delve a little into the history of the palace, and of those who built it, that I understood how Périgord came to have one of its most Renaissance palaces. As you will see very soon, as in any good story, we have politics, art, and even a mysterious death.
So let me invite you today to join me on a visit to one of the most interesting castles in the Dordogne region. As always, we will first start with a journey through time and discover the history of the castle. Immediately afterwards, I will provide you with all the “practical” information that will help you incorporate it into your trip to the Dordogne, so it is definitely worth reading the article to the end.
So let's put the words Château de Puyguilhem into our virtual GPS and let's get going!
The rise and fall of the de Marathoni family
During the 15th century, a new type of nobility emerged in France, the nobility of the cloak. Unlike the nobility of the sword, which was made up of warriors who served the king and received land from him in return, the nobility of the cloak was not made up of warriors, but mostly of lawyers, whose pen was as sharp as the knight's sword. The La Marthonie family was a clear example of this type of nobility.
The father of the family, Etienne de la Marthonie, began his career as a lawyer inBordeaux He managed to reach the rank of councilor to the parliament of that city, bringing with him quite a bit of money and respect. The second generation of the family, Jean (died in 1519) and his son, Pierre Mondot de La Marthonie (1466-1517), leveraged the property that Etienne had accumulated to acquire lands, titles, and political power for themselves.
This is how, for example, the small village was acquired Saint-Jean-de-Cole by the family in the late 15th century and therefore the castle, which is located in its center, is named after them, Chateau de la Marthonie. Shortly after, Jean bought a small 12th century fortress called Pigem. That fortress will be destroyed by his son and become the Renaissance chateau, which we know, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
After a very successful career in the parliament of Bordeaux, Pierre Mondo moved to serve Louise of Savoy (1476-1531), widow of the Count of Angoulême, where he rose to become her chief advisor. His hard work paid off when, in 1515, King Louis XII (reigned 12-1498) died and Louise of Savoy's son became King Francis I (reigned 1515-1).
As a result, Pierre Mondo was appointed President of the Parliament of Paris in February of that year and became one of the most powerful men in the kingdom. A few months later, when the king went to war in northern Italy, where he won his great victory at Marignian, Pierre Mondo became Louise de Savoy's chief aide, and together they ran the kingdom in the king's absence.
The money and status that Lord de la Marathonie gains allow him to demolish the small fortress of Pigme and begin building a Renaissance-style chateau that would not have put Francis I himself to shame (and some say it was directly inspired by the palaces the king built in the Loire Valley). But then disaster strikes.
In 1517, Pierre Mondo was murdered in the castle Blois (Blois). We still do not know who murdered him and why, even the murder weapon (probably poison) is in dispute. However, what is certain is that her promising political career was put on hold, and with it the construction of the Palace of Pigny. But not for long. Pierre Mondo's brother Gaston, the Bishop of Dax, took charge of the construction of the palace and finished it around 1535.
The palace remained in the hands of the Marathoni family until the 18th century, when they sold it to the Rastignac family (any connection between them and the protagonist of some of Balzac's books is purely coincidental). The Rastignac family also left their mark on the palace, and are responsible for the wood paneling in some of the rooms you will see.
During the 19th century, the palace passed from the Rastignac family to another famous family, the La Rochfoucault family, but during this period the physical condition of the palace began to deteriorate. In order to save the palace, which was included in the list of historical monuments of the FranceThe French government decided to buy it in 1939.
Despite the war, which broke out shortly afterwards, restoration work on the palace began and continued for about 20 years. Since the XNUMXs, the general public has been able to visit the palace, which is exactly what is being done now.
What is there to see at Château de Pigme?
As you will see, the palace consists of 3 different wings arranged in a U-shape, with a tower next to them, reminiscent of the fortress that once stood there. Also, if you pay attention to the walls of the palace from the outside, you will discover the fleurs de lys, the symbol of the French monarchy, which are a hint at the great prestige enjoyed by the palace builder by King François I and his mother.
I will not go over every room here, which you will see during your visit to the palace, which lasts about an hour, but I will mention two rooms that made an impression on me.
The Great Hall
This large hall, measuring approximately 100 square meters, contains a beautiful Renaissance fireplace with 6 reliefs depicting the adventures of Hercules.
Unfortunately, most of the reliefs were destroyed over the years, and only the relief of Hercules defeating the lion has survived. The rest of the reliefs you will see are imitations of the original, but, as you will surely agree with me, they are excellent imitations.
The master's bedroom
Here you will find, among other things, a particularly interesting tapestry. As you will see, the tapestry has a horse drawn on it, but if you walk from place to place in the room you will discover that the horse's eyes are following you! 🙂
As I believe (it's been more than 10 years since I last visited there), you'll also find an impressive 16th-century desk in the room that contains quite a few drawers. If you take a guided tour there, ask the guide to show you the secret drawers and tell you what secrets the castle's lords hid there.
Palace Garden
After you finish visiting the palace itself, I highly recommend you take a stroll through the gardens themselves, both to enjoy a pleasant walk in nature and to view this interesting castle from all sides.
Tourist information
Where should you live to easily visit the palace?
My unequivocal recommendation is to live in Brantôme, which is about 15 km away. If you accept my recommendation, you are welcome to enter the article Recommended hotels in Brentom and the surrounding area And choose a hotel, vacation apartment or entire house (depending on your needs).
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Château de Puyguilhem is located near the town of Villars, which is in the northern part of Périgord (Dordogne). If you put Château de Puyguilhem in your GPS you can easily get there.
Opening days and hours
- The place is open 7 days a week during July-August between 10:30-12:30 and 14:00-17:00.
- Between October 1 and March 31, the place is open between 10:30-12:30 and 14:00-17:30, but Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- In April the place is open between 10:30-12:30 and 14:00-17:30 but Closed on Monday.
- In May-June the place is open between 10:30-12:30 and 14:00-18:30, but Closed on Monday.
Have you finished visiting the palace? Where else can you go for a walk?
Here are some good options:
- Stalactite Cave of Villars (Grotte de Villars) – A particularly impressive stalactite cave, located a few kilometers from the palace. You can read about it in the article Villars Cave (Grotte de Villars) A work of art by nature.
- Saint-Jean-de-Cole – A small, picturesque village with ancient streets, a castle and a medieval monastery. You can read about it in the article Saint-Jean-de-Cole – The Village of Flowers.
- The town of Brentom – where you can visit an ancient monastery, cruise the canals and eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant. You can read about it in the article Brentom – Venice of Périgord.