Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Bernray, located two kilometers north of Saint-Savinien in Charente-Maritime, finds its origins at the end of the 15th century, when the fief of the seigneury of the Raimondière was fortified. The moat still visible today on the enclosure walls probably dates from this medieval period. This first castle, of which there remains a large tower at the southwest corner, was profoundly transformed in the following centuries.

In the 17th century, after its acquisition by Jean de Saulières, lord of Lescure and Bernray, the house was completely rebuilt in a classical style. The current facades date back to this period, while the central door, Louis XIII style, was decorated with canned pilasters, a vegetal frieze and a broken pediment bearing an armored shield. This gate, a remarkable element of the monument, was listed as historical monuments in 1948.

Major changes occurred at the end of the 19th century, including the reconstruction of the eastern part of the ground floor and the elevation of the tower. The castle, organized around a square courtyard, still retains its northern outbuildings, its house to the south and an isolated pigeon house. Its architecture thus reflects centuries of evolution, from the medieval fortress to the classical seigneurial residence.

The Louis XIII gate, classed, is distinguished by its low arch framed by pilasters and surmounted by a pediment decorated with lamprequins and dacanthe leaves. The central shield, spread apart and surmounted by a helmet, recalls the noble heritage of the place. Although partially redesigned, the castle remains an architectural testimony of the transformations suffered by seigneurial houses between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

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