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Origin and history

The Château de Saignes, located in the Lot en Occitanie, is a 16th-century building built by the Lagarde family, originally from Limousin. This line, derived from the Viscounty of Turenne, settled in Saignes around 1379 after Bertrand de Lagarde acquired the Castrum de Siogna. The present castle is the work of Pierre IV de Lagarde (late 15th-1566), adviser to the Parliament of Toulouse and Ambassador of Francis I, who modernises it after a diplomatic career marked by missions to Poland, Scotland and Portugal.

The estate then passed to his son Louis (1518–89), then to René (1552–30), Baron de Saignes and quarter of camp under Henry IV and Louis XIII. The castle, besieged by the Huguenots in the 17th century, fell in ruins in the 19th century, serving as a stone quarry. Abandoned after the death of the last descendant, Henri de La Garde, in 1923, he was enrolled in the Historical Monuments in 2002. Since 2013, a global restoration has revived its iconic elements: dungeon, mâchicoulis, chapel and house.

Architecturally, the castle combines a massed house flanked by a round tower and a square tower, a enclosure, and an exterior chapel decorated with the coat of arms of the Lagarde de Saignes. The 16th century remains, partially demolished in the 19th century, coexist with traces of an earlier medieval building. The site, open to the public, offers guided tours and an educational trail dedicated to local wildlife, highlighting its anchoring in the Quercy heritage.

The family of La Garde, close to Pope Clement VI, includes among its members Cardinal Géraud de La Garde (died 1343), master of the order of the Preachers, and several influential prelates. Their establishment at Saignes marks the beginning of a seigneurial dynasty whose climax coincides with the wars of Religion and the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in Guyenne. The castle, symbol of their power, also embodies the political and religious upheavals of the modern era.

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