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Origin and history

The castle of Rastignac, located in La Bachellerie in Dordogne, was built between 1811 and 1817 by architect Mathurin Salat, dit Blanchard, for Pierre Chapt de Rastignac. This neoclassical, neopalladian style castle is distinguished by its rotunda portal, often compared to that of the White House in Washington. However, its history goes back much further: a first castle, named the Rastinhaco Hospitium, was mentioned in 1483, before being burned in 1572 during the Great Days of Périgueux, a judicial episode marking the wars of Religion.

The present residence replaces the old feudal castle and is erected on the foundations of the latter. In 1817, Zenaïde Chapt de Rastignac, daughter of the sponsor, brought in dowry to François Marie de La Rochefoucauld, Duke of Liancourt. The castle then changed hands several times, passing in particular to the families of Peyronny and Lauwick. His story took a dramatic turn on March 30, 1944, when German troops of the Brehmer division set fire to the Resistance in retaliation, destroying 33 paintings of masters (Cezanne, Manet, Renoir, van Gogh) hidden in his walls.

After the war, the chief architect of the historic monuments Yves-Marie Coldevaux supervised its restoration in 1952. The castle, classified as a historical monument in 1946 (façades, roofs, commons, park) and 1951 (vestibulum and staircase), then fell into ruins before being bought in 2000 by seven Dutch. They transform it into a condominium, dividing the building into housing units. Its architecture, perhaps inspired by plans by Charles-Louis Clérisseau or by the Thellusson Hotel in Ledoux, is still fuelling debates about its supposed influence on the White House, built earlier (from 1792).

The link with the US presidential residence remains controversial. Thomas Jefferson, an ambassador to Paris in the 1780s, could have been inspired by French architectural projects, such as those of Victor Louis or the Bordeaux school, when designing the White House. However, the archives show that the southern portico of Washington, similar to that of Rastignac, was only added in 1824, long after the construction of the perigordin castle. The director's notebooks (1811–17) reveal that Mathurin Salat, dit Blanchard, was the master of the project, assisted by mason Jean Delmas, for a cost of 4,000 francs.

The castle also houses notable figures, such as Cléo de Mérod, rival of Sarah Bernhardt, who stayed there at the beginning of the 20th century. Its park, in English, and its commons complete a remarkable architectural ensemble, witness to the political and cultural upheavals of 19th century France. Today, despite its transformations, it remains a symbol of neoclassical heritage and artistic exchanges between France and the United States.

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