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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château d'Aubeterre, located on a limestone ridge overlooking the Dronne valley, was a strategic stronghold between Saintonge, Angoumois and Périgord. His history began in the High Middle Ages, with a first mention in 1004 under the name of Albaterra, linked to the seigneur Géraud. The site is organized around a castral motte (XI century), dug in the rock and surrounded by ditches, on which the first castle was built. The fortress also controlled a monolithic church (VIIIth–XIIth centuries), later enlarged, connected to the castle by underground galleries. The current remains include round tower bases, a 16th century poterno, and partial enclosure walls.

In the 12th century, the lineage of Aubeterre was extinguished, giving way to the Viscounts of Castillon, then to the Raymond and Vigier families. During the Hundred Years' War, the castle, coveted for its position, changed hands several times before it was finally taken in 1453. In the 15th century, the seigneury was rebuilt by François Bouchard, Baron d'Aubeterre, king's adviser and Senechal d'Angoumois, who affirmed his independence from the local abbot and the Count. The site reached its peak in the 16th century under Marshal François d'Esparbes de Lussan, before declining in the 18th century because of family disputes.

The castle was dismantled in 1817 by the Knight of Bourbon-Conti, then sold as a national property after the Revolution. Her ruins, acquired by Madame Moulinier and then by private owners (including stylist Roger Vivier in the 1970s–90s), housed art collections and were partially restored. Today, only protected remains have remained since 1973: the poterno, the Renaissance chapel, and fragments of the eastern enclosure. The site also preserves troglodytic traces, including habitats dug in the cliff and a medieval stairwell.

Among the notable figures related to the castle are Brantôme (named responsible in 1574), Calvin (who stayed there), Henri IV (allied faithful of the Bouchards), and Louis XIV, who stopped there. The monument illustrates feudal struggles, the wars of Religion, and the architectural evolution of medieval fortresses in Aquitaine. Its history also reflects political transformations, such as its attachment to the Charente in 1793, formerly in Périgord.

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