Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The present Bourg-Charente castle was built from 1607 on a rocky promontory overlooking the Charente in Bourg-Charente, replacing a destroyed medieval fortress. This strategic site, located upstream of Cognac, was chosen for its defensive role and exceptional panorama of the valley. The remains of the ditch and a northwest tower could date from the original castle, mentioned as early as 1264 and destroyed in 1378.

First possession of the Ollivier family in 1262, the estate passed under English domination in 1363 after the tribute given to the Prince of Wales by Messire Ollivier, Baron of Bourg. The castle then changed hands between the Bragier, Gouffier, and Pons de Pons families, the latter rebuilding the present building after the destruction of the castle by the Marshal of Sancerre. François Michel Claude Benoît Le Camus de Néville, last seigneur through his marriage to Thérèse Rambaud, marked the end of the feudal era of the site.

In 1921, the Marnier-Lapostolle family acquired the castle to install its cognac cellars, linked to the production of the Grand Marnier. Since 2012, the site also houses stills dedicated to the distillation of bitter oranges, a key component of Grand Marnier liquors. Today's architecture combines a rectangular house topped by a balustrade, a south pavilion rebuilt in the 19th century, and decorative elements from the Bouteville castle, such as slots decorated with cartridges.

The castle offers a remarkable view of the Charente and its valley, bearing witness to its dual heritage: military with its medieval and industrial origins with its contemporary role in spirits production. The chapel and vestiges of the 13th century recall its feudal past, while the transformations of the 19th and 20th centuries illustrate its adaptation to modern usages.

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