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Origin and history

The Château de la Renaudie, located in the commune of Saint-Front-la-Rivière (Dordogne), has its origins in the 13th century, although the current building was mainly rebuilt in the 15th century on the remains of an earlier fortress, probably destroyed during the Hundred Years War. It illustrates the perigord military architecture, with a house flanked by round towers and an entrance castle with a drawbridge, typical of the 14th–15th centuries. The site, surrounded by thick walls and watchtowers, also housed a chapel and commons, now partially disappeared.

From the 15th century, the castle belonged to the Barry family, notable in the area. In 1454, Guy du Barry paid tribute to the king of Navarre for this fief, and in 1507 Alain d'Albret raised Renaudie to the rank of chestnut in recognition of Bertrand du Barry's services. In the 16th century, the Protestant Jean du Barry, leader at the conjuration of Amboise, inherited it and passed it on to his daughters, Jeanne (wife of François de Sainte-Aulaire) and Marie (united with Pierre de la Rochefoucauld). Successive matrimonial alliances moved the seigneury to the Descars (or Pérusse des Cars) in the 17th century, until the Revolution.

The castle, partially burned and used as a stone quarry after the Revolution, remains today only in the state of ruins, invaded by vegetation. Among the notable remains are the 15th century Gothic fireplaces, Renaissance window mouldings, and a vaulted cellar accessible from the outside. Ranked a historic monument in 1946, it bears witness to the architectural transformations and religious struggles (Catholicism vs Protestantism) that marked the Périgord between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

Its plan, characteristic of the perigordin castles, includes a house body with four doangle towers, including a vaulted room in the southwest tower and a enclosure closed by a chestnut comparable to that of the castle of La Chapelle-Faucher. The disappearance of the polygonal stairway tower and the current state of the site reflect the degradations suffered over the centuries, despite its inscription as historical monuments.

The Descars, the last resident lords, lived there until the Revolution. François Count Des Cars, Baron de La Renaudie, died there in 1661 and was buried at Saint-Front-la-Rivière. His descendants, including Charles Descars (married to Marie de Chastellet in 1683), perpetuate the lineage until the site was abandoned. Today the private property of the castle is not open to visit, but its history reflects the political and religious dynamics of New Aquitaine in the 15th-17th centuries.

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