Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Fages, located in Saint-Cyprien in Dordogne, rises on the remains of a Gallo-Roman oppidum. As early as the 12th or 13th century, a barlong dungeon and ramparts surrounded the site, complemented by a vaulted chapel with a funeral chamber. This first medieval ensemble, quoted as Turris dicta de Fagas, bears witness to an ancient and strategic occupation in the Black Perigord.

In the 16th century, the castle was profoundly reshaped in Renaissance style. A storey house, adjacent to the medieval dungeon, is rebuilt and equipped with a large straight staircase. To the south, a Renaissance pavilion is erected on vaulted cellars, adorned with cross-sections and ionic pilasters. These transformations reflect the influence of the new architectural canons, while preserving defensive elements like a round path pierced by murderers.

The castle played a key role during the Wars of Religion. In 1553, Anne de Fages, honorary lady of the Queen of Navarre, married Joachim de Monluc, brother of the famous Blaise de Monluc. The latter, a Catholic military leader, was received by his sister-in-law before the Battle of Vergt (1562). In 1568, Protestants looted the castle, which also suffered a powder explosion in 1574 when it was taken by the lord of Limeuil. He was occupied in 1585 by armed gangs and embodied the violence of that period.

In the 17th century, the castle passed into the hands of noble families like the Montesquiou, then the Hautefort by the marriage of Marie de Montesquieu with Bernard de Hautefort in 1700. The property then passed on to the Arlot de Frugie, Taillefer, and Maillard-Lacombe, until its gradual abandonment in the late 19th century. Depecated and used as a tobacco dryer or farm, it was saved in 1964 by architect Louis Durand, who began his partial restoration.

Listed and inscribed in the Historical Monuments (1933 for the chapel and ruins, 1965 for the Renaissance Pavilion), the castle of Fages is now owned by the children of Louis Durand. These continued the work for its opening to the public, scheduled for 2025. The conservation association of the site works to preserve it, while organizing visits commented since 2023.

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