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Origin and history

The Château de Montchaude, located in Montmérac in Charente, is a Renaissance monument deeply transformed in the 19th century. Its origins date back to a seigneurial land owned by the Barbezieux family in the 11th century, as evidenced by Arnaud de Montchaude, quoted in a cartular around 1075. Hugues de Montchaude, in the 14th century, was also associated by a donation for the marriage of his daughter. The estate then passed into the hands of the Mareuil, Bouchard d'Aubeterre, then of the Saint-Gelais de Lusignan, who kept it until 1732.

The construction of the present castle is attributed either to Émery Bouchard d'Aubeterre between 1550 and 1560, or to the Saint-Gelais at the end of the 16th century, perhaps by architect Antoine Fontan, also linked to the Château de La Rochefoucauld. Surrounded by moat at the beginning, he underwent major changes under Louis-Eugène Arnous, a Bonapartist MP, who modernized him between 1889 and the beginning of the 20th century with architects Édouard Warin and Raymond Barbaud. The castle changed owners several times, including Omani Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud al Said, who restored it in the 1990s.

In 1986, the castle was acquired by Fahd bin Mahmoud al Said, who undertook a restoration of more than ten years and stayed there regularly. Returned in 2013 to a Canadian couple, it was partially destroyed by a fire one week after the purchase. The damaged part was restored between 2014 and 2015 by the Bordeaux Brachard workshop in Tourdonnet. The castle, characterized by a house body flanked by pavilions and a broken-paned slate roof, has skylights decorated with floral motifs and coats of arms, as well as a round escape into the park.

Architecturally, the castle combines Renaissance elements, such as sculpted skylights, with 19th-century additions, including roof enhancement. The terrace, garden and park complete the whole, reflecting the successive changes of the monument. Its recent history, marked by restorations and changes of international owners, illustrates its heritage attraction and its anchoring in local Charente history.

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