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Origin and history

The castle of Serre, located on the town of Abzac in Limousin Charente (New Aquitaine), is a building built between the late 15th and 17th centuries. It consists of two square buildings, one dating from the 16th century and the other from the 17th century, connected by an octagonal staircase tower with a conical roof. The facades, in granite bellows, retain original architectural elements such as sill windows and painted ceilings. A room on the second floor houses murals attributed to the sixteenth century, evoking allegorical scenes and inscriptions in Latin and Greek, probably commissioned by Diane de Grandseigne in memory of her husband, the Duke of Vivonne.

The building of the castle is attributed to Odet d'Archiac, local lord in the early 16th century, whose family, originally from Saintonge, already owned the castle of Availles-Limouzine since the 13th century. By successive alliances, the estate passes to the families of the Béraudière and then Grandseigne. Diane de Grandseigne, heir of the castle, married Gabriel de Rochechouart, first Duke of Mortemart, whose daughter Françoise became the famous Marquise of Montespan, favorite of Louis XIV. The castle remained in the Rochechouart-Mortemart family until the Revolution, where it was sold as a national good. In the 19th century, it was acquired by the Pichon de Vendeuil family, which restored its roof, before being transferred in 1976 to the Guttin family, the current owner.

The castle is marked by notable religious and historical elements. The chapel, now extinct, once housed the relics of Saints Lucius and Emeritus, offered by Pope Clement IX to the Duke of Vivonne in 1669. These relics, at the origin of Abzac's seven-year ostensions, were distributed in 1762, two of which were placed in the local church. The building, partially renovated in the 17th century, preserves rooms classified as historical monuments since 1988, including the chamber of the Duke of Vivonne with its painted alcove, an antechamber and a 15th century room decorated with frescoes. Its architecture, combining medieval and classical styles, as well as its connection to the Marquise de Montespan, make it a major testimony of the Charentais heritage.

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