Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Glane Castle, located in Coulaures, Dordogne (New Aquitaine), is a 15th and 17th century building, initially surrounded by water ditches. It has a central house flanked by two perpendicular wings forming a closed inner courtyard, with four circular towers equipped with murderers and mouths. Its defensive aspect reflects its medieval origin, although transformed in the seventeenth century by the Reynier family, lords of the place since the fourteenth century.

The Reynier family, masters of forges allied to the large houses of the Périgord, marks the history of the castle. Alain Reynier, lord of Glane in the 15th century, enlarged the noble den. In the 17th century, François-Pierre Reynier and his wife Louise de la Faye de la Martinie added the wings in return to square and strengthened the whole. Their daughter, Marie Reynier, married Pierre de Siorac in 1655 at the castle, perpetuating local alliances.

The castle remained in the descendants of the Reynier until 1960, when Renée Veau de Lanouveau, heiress of the Malet de la Jorie, sold it. After several changes of owners, including Dr Labregère and Ambassadors André Ross, he was acquired in 2020 by Françoise Pleinecassagne and Gérard Prieto. The latter prohibit visits and undertake controversial work, resulting in minutes in 2022 for unauthorized modifications.

Ranked a historic monument in 1988 for its facades, roofs and fence walls, Glane Castle illustrates the architectural evolution of the perigord fortresses. Its history also reflects the challenges of preserving private heritage, between respect for the rules and rights of owners. The ditches, the dome of the southwest tower and the traces of the old drawbridge still bear witness to its defensive past.

Sources refer to servitudes of public utility and complementary protection orders, such as that of 2011 for its medieval elements. Despite its registration, the castle, a private property, is no longer visited, including during Heritage Days, since its acquisition in 2020. Recent work has altered the park to English and the banks of Isle, causing tensions with the authorities.

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