Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Montbrun, located in Dournazac in Haute-Vienne, finds its origins in the 11th century with a castral motte still visible today. In 1179, a first stone castle, whose Roman dungeon remains, was erected. This 35-metre dungeon, with atypical machicolis in corbellation, bears witness to the military architecture of the time. The site is linked to a major historical event: in 1199, Pierre Brun, seigneur of Montbrun, participated in the defense of Châlus-Châbrol castle where Richard Cœur de Lion died.

Fired in the 15th century during the Hundred Years War, the castle was rebuilt by Pierre de Montbrun, bishop of Limoges, who kept the dungeon intact while integrating into a new house flanked by four towers. The large sill windows, not well suited to defence, reveal an increasing residential vocation. Piled during the French Revolution, it was restored in the 19th century, then ravaged by a fire in 1917 before a complete reconstruction.

The estate, classified and listed in the Historical Monuments (1946 for interiors, 1990 for exteriors), extends over 168 hectares with ponds, medieval remains and a castral motte sheltering undergrounds. In the 20th century, it was restored by a Dutch owner, Maarten Joost Lamers, before being put on sale in 2023 for 30 million euros. Its interior, furnished as a luxurious residence (3,500 m2, 15 bedrooms, library), contrasts with its military past.

Montbrun Castle illustrates the evolution of fortresses in aristocratic residences. It appears in the film Les Visiteurs (1993) and is one of the emblematic sites of the Périgord-Limousin regional nature park. Its Romanesque dungeon, its corner towers and its medieval ponds make it a rare example of both defensive and seigneurial castle, marked by nearly nine centuries of history.

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