Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Camy, located in Quercy in the hamlet of Camy on the town of Luzech (Lot, Occitanie), was originally a borie, i.e. a typical farmhouse of the region. Transformed into a secondary residence, it belonged to the Chapt de Rastignac, a noble family native to Limousin that inherited the property of the Barons of Luzech in 1600 via the marriage of Jacquette de Ricard de Gourdon with Jean Chapt de Rastignac. The latter, close to Louis XIII and then Louis XIV, played a key role during the Fronde by protecting Luzech from unrest.

In 1617 the land of Rastignac was erected as a marquisat, and Jean Chapt de Rastignac became a maréchal de camp. The castle of Camy, where the family stayed during its passages in Luzech, replaced the ancestral castle of the Barons, then in ruins. The Rastignac retained Luzech until the middle of the 18th century, before their descendant, Alfred de la Rochefoucauld (son of Zenaïde de Rastignac), sold the family property, assigning to the commune the remains of the castle of the Barons.

Architecturally, the castle is distinguished by its square plan, its black roofs visible from afar, and a square tower at the east corner. The body of right houses, with commons, a forest and an orchard, preserves medieval elements like a trilobed 14th century window, redesigned in the 18th century. The gemini window, decorated with palmettes, was restored at the end of the 20th century. Divided into two houses (left and right wing), the castle was bought in 2021 by its present owners.

The arms of the Chapter of Rastignac, a dazuur with a lion of armed silver and crowned gold, carried the motto In Domino Confido ("I entrust myself to the Lord"). Their local influence declined after the sale of goods in the 18th century, marking the end of their lineage in Luzech.

External links