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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.

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