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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Bournazel Castle is a Renaissance residence built between 1540 and 1560 by Jean de Buisson, a soldier and merchant's son, on the foundations of an ancient medieval fortress that remains two 13th century towers. Familier de l'Italie, Buisson is inspired by ancient models through architect Guillaume Lissorgues, friend of Vitruve's translator, Guillaume Philandrier. The accidental death of Lissorgues on the site interrupts the work, leaving the castle unfinished: only two wings out of four planned are built.

The site originally belongs to the family of Mancip, noble locals since the fourteenth century. Bertrand de Mancip, seigneur of Bournazel in the 15th century, passed the estate on to his daughter Charlotte, who married Jean de Buisson around 1530. The latter, a captain wounded during the Italian wars (Battle of Cerisoles in 1544), retired to Bournazel after having been anobli knight of Saint-Michel. His son Antoine, Sénéchal du Rouergue, took over the castle to the Protestants during the Wars of Religion.

At the time of the Revolution, the castle was looted and burned by the villagers, then declassified from historical monuments in 1888 before being reclassified in 1942. In the 19th century, the Count of Marigny became its owner, but Viollet-le-Duc refused to subsidize its restoration. In 2007, it was bought by Gérald and Martine Harlin, who undertook a major restoration: rebuilding the east wing (inspired by Fontainebleau) and the corner tower, as well as the monumental Renaissance staircase.

The architecture combines medieval elements (powder with truncated towers, dungeons) and Renaissance (valerie with triumphal arch, superposition of doric and ionic orders). The castle now houses a collection of 16th-17th century paintings, Renaissance furniture, and a chapel at Claude Vignon's altarpiece. The gardens, labeled remarkable since 2018, and an auditorium of 145 places complete the whole.

Buisson's family deeply marked the history of the place: François de Buisson, grandson of Jean, became Bournazel's first Marquis in 1592. His descendant, John II of Buisson, was elected deputy of the nobility to the States General of 1789. The castle, symbol of local power, passes into the hands of several generations before its post-revolutionary degradation.

Contemporary restoration was rewarded in 2021 by the Grand Trophy Dassault Histoire et Patrimoine, highlighting the exemplary work carried out. The site, open to the public from April to October, offers artists' residences and visits highlighting its architectural and furniture heritage, as well as its gardens structured around medieval hydraulic remains.

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