Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Beauvais Castle, located in Lussas-et-Nontronneau in the Dordogne, is an emblematic monument of the green Perigord, built during the 2nd half of the 16th century. It presents itself as a large square building, flanked by two round towers with mâchicoulis, dominating a narrow valley near the village of Lussas. This castle, a former noble den dependent on the Templar Commanderie du Soulet (Grand-Brassac), illustrates an archaic architecture typical of the region. An imposing dovecote and a covered well, with a slab roof, complete this seigneurial ensemble, testifying to its historical and functional importance.

The noble den was mentioned in 1450, but its major construction campaign took place between 1533 and the end of the sixteenth century, under the impetus of the families of Conan and Faure de La Roderie, barons of Saint-Martial-de-Valette. These lords, descendants of Jean Faure dit Baillot, an iron merchant of Nontron, shaped the present castle. Inside, only the basements, especially the old kitchen, keep traces of the primitive distribution. The round towers, equipped with round crow paths and shooting holes, recall its initial defensive role.

In the 18th century, the castle changed hands several times by inheritances and sales. Catherine des Cars, successive widow of three nobles (Alain du Faure, Pierre de Bonneval, Charles de Rochechouart), bequeaths the estate to his niece Gabrielle des Cars, Marquise de Saint-Projet. When he died without descendants in 1760, the château echoed his godson Gabriel de La Ramière, the last Baron of Nontron, who sold him in 1762 to Arnaud Souc du Plancher de La Garelie and his wife. The owners followed each other, including families such as Robin, Callandreau, or Hériard, until the current transmission to the descendants of the families of Maillard and Capbern-Gasqueton.

The Château de Beauvais, partially listed as a historical monument in 1973, was extended in 2011 to include all the exteriors, the dovecote, the well, and outbuildings. This site, linked to the Templar and seigneurial history of the Périgord, also inspired literature: it appears under the name of Beaulignac in the novel Monsieur de Puyloubard (1926) of Isabelle de Pindray d'Ambelle. Today, there remains a major architectural and historical testimony of the region, mixing medieval and Renaissance heritage.

External links