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Origin and history

Curzay Castle, located in the commune of Curzay-sur-Vonne (Vienna, New Aquitaine), has its origins in the 15th century, although the current building was built around 1710. It replaces a 14th century medieval mansion, where the lords of Curzay lived until the end of the 15th century. This first castle, of which only remains remains like the two towers of the tithe barn, bears witness to the ancient seigneurial occupation of the site.

In the 18th century, the castle and its outbuildings were completely renovated, taking the form of a classic architectural ensemble. The north wing, demolished around 1865, reduced the building to its present configuration, while the south wing of the communes, the chapel and outbuildings (model farm, orangery, stables) were preserved or transformed. The chapel, originally integrated with the commons, was modified in the 19th century in a neo-Gothic style, reflecting the romantic tastes of the era.

The park, built at the beginning of the 19th century by landscape architect Eugène Bülher, adopts the style "in English", then in vogue among the French aristocracy. The outbuildings, dating from the 14th, 16th and 18th centuries, were restored at this time, incorporating medieval elements such as the barn towers. The estate, inscribed in historical monuments in 1927 (castle) and 1993 (commons, barn, chapel), thus illustrates centuries of architectural and landscape evolution.

The successive protections (1927 for the castle, 1993 for the facades of the communes, the tithe barn and the chapel) underline the heritage value of the site. The barn, with its two medieval towers, and the vegetable garden complete a complex of residential, agricultural and religious functions, typical of the large rural estates of the Old Regime and the 19th century.

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