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Origin and history

The Doyens Castle, located in Carennac in the Lot department, originates in a Benedictine priory founded in the 10th century. Built by Cluny in 1295, he served as a residence for the deans of the priory. The present house body, joined to the church of Saint Peter, was rebuilt in the 2nd quarter of the 16th century for Alain de Ferrières (dean from 1529 to 1554), incorporating 12th century ramparts and an ogival gate defended by mâchicoulis. The Renaissance façade, flanked by turrets in corbellation, dominates the old porch of the abbey.

In the 17th century, François Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, bishop of Sarlat and dean of Carennac (1630–81), commissioned the decoration of the ceiling of the large living room, where his portrait appears near the fireplace. This ceiling, classified among the protected elements, illustrates the influence of the Salignac de Lamothe-Fénelon on the monument. The so-called tower of Télémaque, accessible by a staircase with screws, and a brace (tribune to the harangues) testify to the defensive and symbolic developments of the site.

Partially classified as historical monuments (inscription in 1929, classification in 1938), the castle includes some remarkable elements: the gallery overlooking the north side of the church, the west fortified gate, and the enclosure wall with its corner tower. Transferred to the commune in 2007, he also retained a painting of the Blessed Sacrament probably dated from the eighteenth century, highlighting his role both religious, seigneurial and community.

Archaeological and historical sources (Albe & Viré, 1914; Fisherman, 1988) confirmed its evolution from the medieval priory to the Renaissance residence, reflecting the political and artistic transformations of Quercy. The coat of arms of the Salignac on the ceiling recalls the noble alliances that marked its history, while the mâchicoulis and the ogival gate evoke its defensive past, linked to the neighboring abbey.

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