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Castle of Combebonnet dans le Lot-et-Garonne

Lot-et-Garonne

Castle of Combebonnet

    16 Combebonnet
    47470 Engayrac

Timeline

Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1255
Arbitration between Viscount and Count
XIIIe siècle
First mention of Combebonnet
1643
Construction of a portal
XVe–XVIe siècle
Expansion of the castle
1790
Fire threat
1964
Registration for historical monuments
1988
Ranking of dungeon
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Key figures

Jourdain de Combebonnet - Noble knight First lord named in 1255.
Pons de Beauville - Lord of Castelsagrat Owner in 1450.
Jeanne de Beauville - Lady of Combebonnet Wife Jean de Narbonne.
Gabriel de Narbonne - Lord of Salelles Heir of Combebonnet (XVIe).
Marie-Anne de Narbonne - Last heir Wife Chapt of Rastignac.
Jean-Gabriel Chapt de Rastignac - Count of Rastignac Last known lord.

Origin and history

The Château de Combebonnet, located in the town of Engayrac in Lot-et-Garonne, overlooks the Gandaille valley. Its first mention dates back to the 13th century, where it is cited as a villa Combabonneti, then designating a fortified rural farm. This site has gradually been transformed into a castrum, with a triangular fortress equipped with schauguers and defences adapted to its steep environment. A square tower, armed with legit cross murderers typical of 13th century gascon castles, was added to strengthen its protection on the north side.

In the 15th or 16th century, the castle underwent major changes: construction of a wooden staircase in the southwest corner, construction of a chapel and a enclosure to house nearby houses. The seigneurs of Beauville, then the Narbonnes, marked its history, as evidenced by the arms of the Beauville family engraved in the chapel. In the seventeenth century, two portals decorated with columns (including a date of 1643) were added, giving the castle its present appearance.

Threatened by fire in 1790 by rioters, the castle was saved by the villagers. He was enrolled in the historical monuments in 1964, with a partial ranking of his dungeon in 1988. Its architecture thus combines medieval defensive elements and Renaissance arrangements, reflecting its evolution throughout the centuries.

The seigneury of Combebonnet was owned by successive noble families, including the Beauvilles (15th century) and Narbonnes (16th-15th centuries). Jean de Narbonne, Marquis de Fimarcon, and his wife Marie-Anne de Narbonne, the last heir, illustrate this line. The castle then passed to the Chapt of Rastignac in the 18th century, before losing its seigneurial function.

The chapel attests to the religious importance of the site: its flat bedside and dogive vaults are home to armorized badges. The architectural transformations (heavy wood, superimposed terraces) reveal constant adaptations to defensive and residential needs, from rural to seigneurial residence.

Historical sources, such as 13th-century arbitral awards or Beauville notarial acts, document conflicts and alliances that shaped its destiny. Today, the Castle of Combebonnet remains a major testimony of the southwestern castral heritage, combining feudal history and Renaissance heritage.

External links