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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Château de la Rigaudière is a Charentaise residence built in the 18th century for the Froger family of La Rigaudière, in a classic style. It replaces a noble house of the seventeenth century, mentioned in 1636, acquired in 1654 by André II Froger, merchant in salt and Protestant shipowner. The seigneury then passed to his descendants, including André III Froger, anobli in 1711, and Michel-Honoré Froger de La Rigaudière, an officer of the navy.

The present building was built between 1759 and 1776, probably between 1774 and 1776, by André Alexandre Froger de La Rigaudière, naval officer and knight of Saint-Louis. Funded by the sale of mines and a foundry, the castle escapes revolutionary destruction thanks to the non-migration of its owner. When he died in 1807, he was passed on to his daughters, whose descendants, the Bouët du Portal family, remained the owner until 2015.

Ranked a historic monument in 1996, the castle includes a house body with imperial roof, communes in return for square, and a registered park. Its interior preserves Louis XV woodwork, 18th-century fireplaces and painted doortops. The estate received the Sazerac Prize in 1998, highlighting its heritage value.

Architecturally, the castle is distinguished by a rectangular courtyard lined with low commons, a classic two-storey house framed by pavilions, and an anterior facade preceded by a baluster terrace. The posterior façade overlooks a garden, while a side pavilion, formerly latrines, has the same style. The ensemble illustrates the influence of classical models in the rural architecture of the eighteenth century.

The seigneury of La Rigaudière, attested as early as 1579, embodies the social ascent of the Froger, a Protestant family anoblated by its military and commercial services. Their history reflects the economic dynamics of the Saintonge, marked by maritime trade, armaments and progressive integration into the nobility of the Ancien Régime.

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