Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The château de l'Herm, located in Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac in Dordogne, is built between 1500 and 1520 by John II of Calvimont, adviser to the Parliament of Bordeaux, and his son John III. The latter, Ambassador of Francis I, finished the building, marked by a body of rectangular houses flanked by three towers, including a polygonal staircase tower. The sculpted decor, including the flamboyant Gothic fireplaces, bears witness to its prestige. The castle is built on a site occupied from the 11th century, as evidenced by the deep ditches and remains of a tower.

The seigneury of the Herm, originally divided between several noble families such as the Chaumonts and the La Roques, was consolidated by the Calvimonts in the early 16th century. John IV of Calvimont, the last male heir, died without descendants in 1586, leaving the estate to his daughter Marguerite. She was murdered in 1605 by her husband, Francis II d'Aubusson, in a plot to seize her property. This murder triggered a series of trials and bloody revenges between the Aubusson, Hautefort and Calvimont families, leading to the gradual abandonment of the castle.

In the 17th century, Marie de Hautefort, known as the "Aurore" and favorite of Louis XIII, purchased the castle around 1680 and maintained it until his death in 1691. The Marquis de Hautefort, his heirs, maintained the estate until the Revolution, but the castle, mortgaged and sold in 1805, was methodically dismantled for its materials. It fell into ruins and was abandoned in 1862, before becoming the frame of the novel Jacquou le Croquant d'Eugène Le Roy in 1899.

Ranked a historic monument in 2022 after a first inscription in 1927, the castle was bought in 1988 by Dominique and Marie Palué, who undertook excavations and restoration work. Since 2020, a major restoration campaign, supported by Stéphane Bern's Heritage Mission, aims to give the castle its original appearance, with a reopening planned in 2028. Archaeological discoveries revealed an earlier circular enclosure, confirming an early medieval occupation of the site.

The architecture of the castle, although deprived of its roof and floors for centuries, preserves remarkable elements such as its carved chimneys and its spiral staircase. The moat, access bridge and remains of the chapel and oven are also protected. The site, symbol of the power struggles in Périgord, illustrates the evolution of the seigneuries between the Middle Ages and the modern era, as well as the challenges of preserving the rural heritage.

Future

Today, this site is open to visit. It relives through protection work, historical research, plays and summer concerts. Archaeological excavations in recent years have revealed the circular enclosure of older buildings, whose current water ditches are a vestige.

External links