Origin and history
Ferrassou Castle, located in Saint-Sylvestre-sur-Lot in the Lot-et-Garonne department, has its origins in the 15th century, although an undocumented hypothesis evokes a possible foundation in the 14th century under English domination. This theory is based on a thermoluminescence analysis of terracotta bricks taken from the exterior walls and the vault of the large lower room. The name Ferrassou, however, appeared only in 1461, and the history of its owners was attested only from the 15th century, with Jean de Laduguie. In 1476, the estate, then called "ostal e tor apelat de Ferrasso", was acquired by Jean de Podio Extremo (of extreme Pech), bourgeois of Penne linked to the Lustrac family.
In the 1490s, the castle passed to Antoine I of Lustrac, who paid tribute to King Charles VIII in 1498. This period probably marks the reshaping of the house and the construction of the square tower, equipped with a Gothic screw staircase with helical core and palm vault. The large round tower, of Renaissance style (1530-1540), with its splint windows and original conical roof, is attributed to Antoine II of Lustrac. It could have been built to celebrate the marriage of her daughter, Marguerite, with the Marshal of Saint Andrew in 1544. The commons, flanked by turrets, also date from the first half of the sixteenth century.
In the 16th century Ferrassou knew his golden age thanks to Marguerite de Lustrac (1527-1597), Marquise de Fronsac and lady of honour of Queens Catherine de Medici and Marie Stuart. Widow in 1562, she retired to the castle around 1565 and remarried in 1568 with Geoffroy de Caumont. Their daughter, Anne (1574-1642), married François d'Orléans-Longueville, perpetuating the noble lineage of the estate. At the end of the century, the castle includes a gated gallery, a gate tower and a chapel, now missing. After family conflicts, the estate was ceded in 1608 to Pierre de Masparault, whose descendants retained it until the Revolution, despite a gradual decline in roofs and the suppression of the third floor of the house in the 18th century.
In the 19th century, Blaise de Lapeyrière, acquirer in 1812, undertook a major restoration: demolition of the gallery wing, opening of the courtyard, and redevelopment of the west facade in a neo-classical style, erasing Gothic irregularities. The interior is decorated in Empire style, with the date of 1820 affixed to the entrance gate. In 1868, the property was fragmented and partially bought by the Charbalié family, which completed the interior developments and expanded the agricultural buildings. The castle was classified as a historical monument in 1973 under the leadership of Michel Virenque, prefect and heir of the Charbaliés. Since 2019, it has been owned by a civil society linked to Philippe Derouin, a Parisian lawyer, and is the subject of an interior restoration led by Stéphane Thouin, chief architect of historical monuments.
The architecture of the castle combines medieval and Renaissance elements. The low vaulted room in a cradle, 25 meters long, and the medieval house with fireplaces divide the space into three rooms per level. The square tower houses a gothic staircase, while the round tower, decorated with sill windows, dominates the northeast corner. The commons, dated from the 16th century, include vaulted stables and two turrets. The castle overlooks the Lot, whose level has been enhanced by the Villeneuve-sur-Lot dam. The walls, built of tuff and limestone, used to have a coating imitating a cut stone apparatus.
Ranked a historic monument in 1973, Ferrassou Castle is partially visited: the park and the exteriors are free of access, while the interior, under renovation, opens by appointment or during Heritage Days. The site embodies five centuries of architectural and noble history, from the Franco-English wars to the Renaissance and modern transformations.
Announcements
Please log in to post a review