Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Cazeneuve, located in Prechac in Gironde, finds its origins in the 11th century with a medieval motte, then a fortress built by the kings of Navarre. Mentioned for the first time in 1250 during a tribute by Amanieu VI of Albret to Gaston VII of Béarn, it is rebuilt by Amanieu VII of Albret on a rocky spur, covering the motte and protecting the adjacent village. The castle became a royal residence in 1572, when Henry III of Navarre (future Henry IV) inherited from his mother. Faced with financial difficulties, he sold it in 1583 to Monsieur de Rancé, then in 1599 to Raymond de Viçose, a Protestant.

In the 17th century, the medieval castle was profoundly reshaped to become a home of pleasure and appartment. The current buildings date back to this reconstruction, while the advanced fortifications and moat remain as remains of earlier eras. The site includes troglodyte caves, underground cellars, and a Gallo-Roman nymph accessible by a 14-metre staircase from the court of honor. Ranked a historic monument in 1965, it still belongs to the family of Sabran-Pontevès, descendant of Albret.

The castle welcomed notable personalities, such as Edward I of England and Éléonore de Castille in 1287, Louis XIII in 1620 on his journey to Pau to sign the eponymous edict, and Louis XIV in 1660 on his marriage to the infant Marie-Thérèse of Austria. Its park, classified with the castle, extends along the Ciron and includes an English garden, a mill, a washhouse and a bird island. The site was also used as a setting for filming, such as the show Secrets d'Histoire in 2017 and the series Daughters of Fire in 2022.

Architecturally, the castle presents an irregular polygonal plan, surrounded by moat and flanked by two towers. The two-storey courtyard of honour houses a well connected to the nymph. The royal apartments, furnished at the time, bear witness to its fascinating past. Protected features include facades, roofs, courtyards, moat, fortifications, and a portion of the park bounded by Ciron and CD9.

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