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Origin and history

Nerac Castle, Louis XII style, marks the transition between Gothic art and the First Renaissance. Located on the banks of the Bay in Nérac (Lot-et-Garonne), it was completed during the reign of Jeanne d'Albret, who installed his court there in the sixteenth century. The monument, originally quadrangular with four wings surrounding a central courtyard, was largely dismantled during the French Revolution. Only the north wing, listed as a historic monument in 1862, remains today. It houses the Museum of Nerac, dedicated to the history of the Albret and the Renaissance, as well as local archaeological collections ranging from prehistoric to Roman times.

The history of the castle dates back to at least 1088, where a seigneurial residence belonging to Arsieu d'Olbion is mentioned. In the 12th century, the monks of St. Peter's Abbey in Condom became owners and entrusted their defence to the d'Albret family, who eventually took over it permanently in 1306 via Amanieu VII. The present castle was rebuilt between the 14th and 16th centuries, a period of fascination for the Albrets, allies in turn to the Armagnacs and then to the kings of France. The four wings, of various sizes and times, reflected this evolution: the west wing (before 1389), the north wing attributed to Charles II or Alain d'Albret, the wing is dominating the Baisas, and the south wing built by Jeanne d'Albret after 1560 with stones from religious demolitions.

The castle played a major political role under Henri de Navarre (future Henri IV), whose room was located above the guard room. After the Revolution, the north wing was preserved and transformed into a museum in 1934, thanks to collectors such as Georges Monbrison and with the support of Armand Fallières, former President of the Republic. The collections, encyclopedics, combine local archaeology, memories of the Albret, and Renaissance art objects. Restoration projects, such as Viollet-le-Duc's aborted one in 1867, demonstrate its heritage importance.

Architecturally, the castle was distinguished by its parlour leading to the royal gardens, its terrace along the Bays, and a royal pavilion now extinct. The north wing preserves a low arch gallery with carved capitals of men and animals, characteristic of the transition to the Renaissance. The vaulted rooms, like that of the treasure of Albret, recall its medieval past. Despite the revolutionary destructions, the site remains a key testimony to the history of Navarra and the influence of Albret in Gascony.

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