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Origin and history

The Château de Lespinassat, located in Bergerac, Dordogne, is originally a strong house built in the 16th century by the Alba family, a noble line of Spanish origin which arrived in France around 1450. This family, from the sefaradic people, acquired the estate and erected a castle there before converting to Calvinism. The present building, a gentilhommière, replaced the old defensive building in the 17th century, then was thoroughly remodeled in the 18th century, notably from 1734 with the addition of a gallery and a monumental staircase made of horse iron.

Alba's family, the owner of the site, is divided into several branches, including Lespinassat and Monbazillac. After the revocation of the edict of Nantes in 1685, some members, such as Joshua of Alba, lord of Lespinassat, chose exile in Amsterdam, while others, such as Daniel of Alba, Viscount of Monbazillac, converted to Catholicism. The estate includes ditches, pavilions and old cellars, witness to its winemaking past.

The castle is listed as historical monuments on 22 November 1989 for its facades, roofs, terraces, ditches and access bridges. The protected elements also include the two entrance pavilions and the north terrace. The site, surrounded by dry moats, preserves traces of its architectural evolution, mixing medieval defenses and classical elegance.

The branch of Lespinassat was gradually extinguished after Joshua's emigration from Alba to the Netherlands, where his descendants settled in Poland. Some became Jews again, and some returned to France at the beginning of the twentieth century. The castle, today, remains a testimony to Protestant history and the noble architecture of the South-West.

Available sources, such as Wikipedia and Monumentum, highlight its heritage importance in the New Aquitaine region. The castle of Lespinassat illustrates the social and religious transformations of the French nobility between the 16th and 19th centuries, as well as the influence of families of foreign origin in the local heritage.

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