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Origin and history

The Château du Lieu-Dieu, originally called Baconnie, owes its present name to a landmark event of the Hundred Years War. In 1387, in front of the looting of the English mercenaries, the holy sacraments of the surrounding churches were transferred there to avoid their desecration. This symbolic gesture gave the place its Occitan name Luòc Diu (Lieu-Dieu), and an annual procession took place until the 1960s. The castle was built at the beginning of the 14th century at the initiative of Forton de Saint-Astier, Damoiseau de Périgueux, on the site of an ancient noble den. It became a family fief, transmitted by inheritance or marriage, notably through the families Saint-Astier, Leymarie, and Bayly.

The seigneury of Lieu-Dieu, crossed by the brook du Manoire, extended to St. Lawrence and included part of the village called Saint-Martin de Ligne. The castle, surrounded by round towers and moat, was a place of resistance during the Wars of Religion. In 1575 Guillaume de Leymarie cut himself off to organize the defense against the Protestants, before he died there in 1578. The Saint-Astier retained the seigneury until 1570, when it passed to the Bertin, and then to the Bayly by marriage.

In the 19th century, the castle was restored by the Marquise de Sanzillon, an heiress without direct descendants, who entrusted the works to the architect Alexandre Antoine Lambert from 1868. The 1878 changes added defensive elements such as niches and mâchicoulis, although their historical authenticity was discussed. The octagonal dovepole, probably built in the 17th century, and the moat fed by the Manoire complete this architectural ensemble. Ranked Historic Monument in 1959 for its facades, roofs, moats and doves, the castle has remained in the same family line since its construction, despite the changes of names of the owners.

The transmission of the estate followed a complex lineage: from Saint-Astier to Leymarie, then to Bayly, before passing to the Sanzillons through the marriage of Marie-Claire de Bayly in 1761. His descendant, Louis-Grégoire de Sanzillon, emigrated during the Revolution before returning in 1802. The castle then echoed the Arlot de Cumond in the 19th century, a family that occupied it until the 20th century. Today, it bears witness to eight centuries of perigordin history, mixing military, religious and seigneurial heritage.

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