Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Nontron came into being in the eighth century, when Roger, Count of Limoges, donated it to Charroux Abbey to establish a monastery. Mentioned as Castrum Netronence (769) and then Castrum Netronensem (785), the site was then a merovingian castrum, the capital of an administrative division of Limousin. In the 11th century, it was replaced by a medieval fortress, including dungeon, towers and Romanesque chapel, of which today remains vaulted cellars. The castle then became a castle of the Périgord, linked to notable events such as the siege of 1199 where Richard Coeur de Lion was wounded, or the presence of Bertrand du Guesclin in 1377 before a victory against the English.

Between the 16th and 17th centuries, the castle changed hands several times, passing from the families of Puysilhon and Faure de la Roderie to the house of Coulonges-Pompadour after its sale by Henri IV in 1600. Ravied by two fires (1672 and 1713), it was entirely rebuilt between 1751 and 1788 by Jean-Charles de Lavie, President of the Bordeaux Parliament, on the foundations of the former fortress. The neoclassical building, with its symmetrical facades and sculpted pediment, was restored again after a fire in 1850, and became property of local families such as La Ramière or Lagorsse.

Ranked a historic monument in 1984 for its facades, roofs and library with remarkable woodwork, the castle housed a museum of ancient dolls and toys from 1980 to 2003. Purchased by the municipality in 1984, it has been hosting since 2009 the Experimental Pôle des métiers d'art (Pema). In 2020, its restoration was supported by the Heritage Lotto and the Axa Foundation, with a total aid of 200,000 euros to save its degraded floors. The terraced park in the east, called the "Garden of the Arts", and medieval remains recall its millennial history.

The current architecture mixes a rectangular two-storey plan under attic attices, with a central forebody framed by pilasters with bosses. Inside, a monumental staircase serves enfilade rooms, some of which retain period panelling. The office of the Tourist Office now occupies a south wing, while the castle remains a symbol of the perigord heritage, between medieval heritage and modern transformations.

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