Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Cieurac, located in the Lot department, finds its origins in the 13th century with a first castle of which remains remains at the north and south ends of the current house body. Owned by the family of Cardaillac, coseigneurs de Cardaillac et de Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, it was occupied and looted by the English between 1356 and 1358 during the Hundred Years War. After his restitution to the Cardaillacs, Raymond de Cardaillac, involved in the Ligue du Bien publique, undertook his reconstruction at the end of the 15th century, following the destruction of their castle of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie by the armies of Charles VIII in 1487.

The reconstruction began before 1501 under the impetus of Raymond de Cardaillac (1450-1501), veteran of the Italian wars, and was continued by his son Jean-Jacques de Cardaillac (1476-1515), king's adviser and senechal of Quercy. In 1503, Jean-Jacques' marriage with Jeanne de Peyre marked the castle of their coat of arms carved on the facade. The site was then fortified by Antoine-Hector de Cardaillac, converted to Protestantism, before moving on to Godailh's family in 1664, which added kitchens in 1733. The French Revolution left traces there with the looting of the castle and the destruction of its Gothic chapel, after the execution of its owner, Pierre-Jacques de Godailh-Cieurac, mayor of Montauban.

The 20th century marked a tragic turning point for the castle: burned in June 1944 by the SS Das Reich division in retaliation against the Resistance, it lost its roof, its ceilings classified as Historic Monuments since 1938, and its archives. After urgent repairs (temporary roof in 1950, staircase in 1956), it was sold in 1974 to Claude Afchain, who undertook his restoration. Today, the castle of Cieurac remains a major testimony of Renaissance architecture in Quercy, alongside Montal or Cénevières, classified as historical monuments since 1938.

External links