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Origin and history

The castle of Cadillac was built at the request of Jean-Louis de Nogaret de La Valette (1554-1642), first Duke of Épernon and favourite of Henri III. This proud Gascon, nicknamed the "Demi-Roi", embodies through this castle its all-power, accumulating riches and honours before dying in disgrace under Louis XIII. The building, built from 1598 onwards, replaces part of the fortified town that was shaved for the occasion. It mixes the influences of the late Renaissance and already announces the 17th century classicism, with a court of honour initially surrounded by monumental pavilions and wings, dismantled in the 18th century.

Seized during the French Revolution, the castle became a prison in the 19th century, during which time its current wings and a concierge were built. In 1880, he was transformed into a school of preservation for young women, before he suffered a fire in 1928. Used as a prison until 1951, it was then returned to the Ministry of Culture. Today, it is open to the public and is the subject of restorations aimed at restoring its magnificent 17th century interiors, including French ceilings, 16th and 17th century tapestries, and monumental chimneys.

The castle preserves the memory of the sumptuous collections of the Dukes of Épernon, including tapestries transferred from their castle of Caumont in 1611. Among them, the story of Henry the Third, commissioned by the Duke and woven between 1632 and 1636, illustrates the opulence of the court. The basements, the historic kitchen and the echo rooms also recall its prison past. Outside, a leisure garden restored at the end of the 20th century offers views of the old fortifications of the city.

Ranked as a historic monument in 1862 for the castle, moat and garden, then completed in 1956 and 1965 for the garden gate, the site is now managed by the National Monuments Centre. It explores the turbulent history of France, from the wars of Religion to the Fronde, through the advent of Louis XIV and the premature end of the Epernon lineage.

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