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Origin and history

The castle of Puyferrat, located in the commune of Saint-Astier in Dordogne, dominates the town of about 60 meters. Its name, meaning "fortified hill" in old French, reflects its strategic position. The site originally belonged to the seigneury of Beauronne, owned by the Talleyrands, Counts of Grignols. From the 12th century, cluzeaux (subterranean refuges) were dug there, and a noble den of the 15th century preceded the present construction.

In the 16th century, the fief passed to the Delaporte family, native of Périgueux. Bertrand Delaporte began the construction of the present castle, completed by his son Bernard in the following century. During the Wars of Religion (1591), the castle, then in the hands of the Protestants, was resumed the same year. Its architecture combines a body of rectangular houses flanked by circular towers and corbelled turrets, with a round path on mâchicoulis and preserved arquebuseries.

In 1792 Jean Jacques de Laporte, owner, emigrated to Martinique, where he died in 1823. His property, including Puyferrat, was awarded to the Sérigny and sold in 1824 to Paul-François Dupont, who added a family chapel. Despite attempts by Laporte's heirs to recover the castle in 1830, he remained in the hands of his new owners. Ranked Historic Monument in 1862, he changed his hands several times before being opened to the summer visit.

The building combines defensive elements (mâchicoulis, arquebuseries) and Renaissance decoration, like the doric door of the west facade. The remarkable frame supports a roof with four panels of flat tiles. The park houses a chapel built in 1825, reflecting post-revolutionary transformations. Today, the castle is visited from July to September, offering a panorama of the architectural and social history of the Périgord.

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