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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Châlus-Chabrol Castle, built in the 11th century and restored in the 13th and 17th centuries, stands on a rocky promontory overlooking the village of Châlus, in Upper Vienna. It was built to control the Limoges-Périgord route, turning the historic road through Lastours to avoid local lords. Its strategic positioning made it a key link in a line of 15 castles protecting the southern access of Limoges, between Périgord and Limousin.

In March 1199, the castle was besieged by the troops of Mercadier, warlord in the service of Richard the Lion Heart, who came to suppress the revolt of Ademar V of Limoges. During the siege, Richard was hit by a diamond tile fired by Pierre Basile from the dungeon. Injured, he died on 6 April 1199 from his infected wound. The 38 residents of the tower went after his death. This seat marks a turning point in Anglo-French history and gives the castle a lasting reputation.

In the 16th century, the castle passed into the hands of Protestants during the Wars of Religion. In 1592 he was besieged by the Catholics led by Governor Chamberet and the Count of Bourbon de Busset, who took it after a bombardment. Dismantled during the Revolution, it was restored in the 19th century by the Count of Châlus and then by Bertrand Heyraud in the 1990s. In 1999, ceremonies commemorate the 800th anniversary of Richard's death, in the presence of Queen of England and President Chirac.

Architecturally, the castle includes an 11th century dungeon, a 13th century house body, and 17th century elements such as a chapel and a well. The dungeon, accessible by a door located seven meters from the ground, houses a vaulted room in the basement and floors partially flattened in the 19th century. The castral chapel, now a parish church, preserves Richard's bowels, as he had demanded. The site, classified and listed as historical monuments since 1981, attracts for its medieval heritage and its role in European history.

Successive owners include the Viscounts of Limoges, the Maulmonts, Philippe le Bel, the Albrets, and the Bourbon-Busset, which kept it until 1995. Today, the castle belongs to Jacques Vigneras since 2019. Its permanent restoration and its link to literature (as in He who came from afar from Philippe Ebly) make it a cultural and historical symbol of New Aquitaine.

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