Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Tarnac, built in the first half of the seventeenth century, is a typical example of the aristocratic architecture of this period. It consists of a body of rectangular houses flanked by two square pavilions in return, with triangular pediments decorated with balls. In the back, a pararon, now extinct, once allowed the main access. The interior organization, centered on a straight staircase through, reflects the usages of the era, with two large symmetrical rooms on both sides.

The interior elements keep traces of their original use: the vaulted kitchen in a cradle, with its fireplace and bread oven, bears witness to the 17th century domestic practices. The living rooms on the ground floor still have French ceilings, with ground beams, characteristic of the style of the era. The castle, originally owned by the family of Lagrange in the 17th century, then passed to the family of Souris from the 19th century. The outbuildings, added in the 18th and 19th centuries, complete this ensemble, including a barn dated 1768 by its lintel.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1989 for its facades and roofs, the castle of Tarnac embodies both the architectural heritage of the early seventeenth century and the subsequent transformations related to its occupation by various noble families. Its present state, although partially modified (like the suppression of the perron), allows us to understand the evolution of a seigneurial building in Limousin over almost four centuries.

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