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Trenqueleon Castle à Feugarolles dans le Lot-et-Garonne

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château de style Classique
Lot-et-Garonne

Trenqueleon Castle

    D642E
    47230 Feugarolles
Private property
Crédit photo : Enallo - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1300
1700
1800
1900
2000
1253
First mention of Trenquelleon
1284
Connection to Vianne
1771
Reconstruction of the castle
1804
Foundation of Marianists
1920
Creation of the Jasmin Silver Prize
1951/2015
Historical Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Fronts and blankets (Box A 394): inscription by decree of 16 February 1951. Order of 12 November 2015: [...] having regard to the decree of 16 February 1951 on the inscription of the facades and roofs of the castle, the Regional Commission of Heritage and Sites (CRPS) of the Aquitaine region heard in its session of 17 September 2015, considering that the castle of Trenquelleon in Feugarolles (Lot-et-Garonne) is of sufficient interest to make it desirable to preserve it because of its history and its architectural and landscape qualities, the commission unanimously pronounces itself for the extension of the inscription to the whole of the castle of Trenquelleon in Feugarolles (Lot-et-Garonne) with the communes, the inner courtyard, the gate, its gardens, the dovecot, the source, the old gate, the old hydraulic dependence and the wall of support of the gardens is the entire 13th West parcel in east to the limit of the pigeon-house. Section ZN, plot 13 of 16 ha and 18 ares and 90 centiary of the commune (annexed plan). The decree of 12 November 2015 cancels and replaces that of 16 February 1951.

Key figures

Bernard et Géraud Trenquelléon - Lords of Fimarcon (11th century) First name holders linked to the site.
Charles de Batz (1712–1754) - Baron reconstructor (1771) Sponsor of current architecture.
Adèle de Batz de Trenqueléon (1789–1828) - Founder of Marianists Created the congregation at the castle in 1804.
Léopold de Batz (1816–?) - Mayor of Feugarolles Knight of the Legion of Honour (1875).

Origin and history

The castle of Trenqueléon, located in Feugarolles in Lot-et-Garonne, finds its origins in the 13th century with the Trenquelléon family, from the lords of Fimarcon. In 1253 the brothers Bernard and Géraud Trenquelleon, son of Odon de Lomagne, gave tithes to the bishop of Agen, attesting their local influence. In 1284, the castle and its outbuildings were attached to the jurisdiction of the Vianne bastide by an act between Jordan of Lisle and the king of England. The name Trenquelleon thus appears linked to a feudal motte, then to a 15th century tower, still visible today.

In the 18th century, the castle was completely rebuilt in 1771 by Charles de Batz, Baron of Trenqueléon, on medieval foundations. The architecture, inspired by the Chartreuses, combines rigorous classicism (symmetry, terraced gardens) and local originalities, such as curved broken roofs or a curved massive chevron frame, rare in the region. The initials C.B.T. and the date 1771 are engraved in the ground and on a skylight, highlighting this recast. The interior decor, in the style of Louis XV (stukes, carpentry), bears witness to a pre-revolutionary luxury, although ten tapestries with Trenqueléon weapons, perhaps Gobelins, disappeared in 1954.

The castle remained associated with the Batz family until the 19th century. Adèle de Batz de Trenqueléon (1789–1828), granddaughter of Charles, founded in 1804 the Institute of the Daughters of Mary, ancestor of the Marian congregation, making the place a religious symbol. In 1920, the Jasmin d'Argent Prize was created to reward poets in the French and French languages. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1951 (extended in 2015), the estate now includes houses, commons, gardens, dovecote and a chapel, preserving its architectural and spiritual heritage.

The history of the castle reflects the social changes of the Gascogne: first medieval fortress controlled by the lords of Lomagne, it becomes an aristocratic residence under the Batz, then a place of religious memory. Its architecture, between local tradition (slate, honeycombs) and external influences (the "Liberal" carpent), illustrates the cultural exchanges of the Ancien Régime. The 15th century tower, with its archery, and the commons closing the courtyard recall its defensive past, while the salons and gardens evoke its golden age in the 18th century.

The protection of the castle now extends to the whole estate (16 hectares), including hydraulic and landscape elements. Its state of conservation, despite the loss of tapestries, allows us to study a rare architectural transition between the Middle Ages and the modern era. The site, still linked to the Marianist order, also attracts for its literary prize and its role in preserving the gascon heritage.

External links