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Origin and history

The Château de Montluc, located in Estillac in Lot-et-Garonne, finds its origins in the 13th century with the Autièges family. Its oldest elements date from this medieval period, but it was in the 16th century that it underwent a major transformation under the impetus of the Mondenards, which added Renaissance-style buildings. The estate then passed to Blaise de Monluc in 1544 by inheritance, marking the beginning of an era of profound architectural and military changes.

Blaise de Monluc, Marshal of France, undertook important work from 1571, after his mother's death, to modernize the castle according to the Italian military principles he had observed during his campaigns. He added a bastioned enclosure, reinforced defenses at the entrance, and even a funeral chapel in the eastern bastion, where a cenotaph was erected with its effigy. These arrangements were designed to make the castle defensible during the religious wars, incorporating bastions inspired by the fortifications of Navarrenx.

The castle became a place of retirement for Monluc, who wrote his Comments before his death in 1577. After his disappearance, the estate changed hands several times, passing by inheritance or sale to the Lauzières-Thémines, to the Escouubleau de Soudis, then to the families of Laroche and Flaujac, before reaching the Barbara de Labelotterie de Boisseson. Despite partial demolitions in 1793, including the defences of the entrance, the castle retained much of its original structure.

Ranked a historic monument in 1958, Montluc Castle is distinguished by its trapezoidal plan and its almost triangular inner courtyard. His living room was decorated in the 19th century with a wall-paper hanging imitating the damas, including a portrait of Charles X. The Blaise de Monluc Cenotaph, located in the park, had been listed since 1947, highlighting the heritage importance of this site linked to Renaissance military and architectural history.

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