Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Plassac, attested as early as 1340 during a trial between Guillaume de Flotte and Pons de Mortagne for its possession, was originally an irregular medieval fortress. Confiscated by the crown, it was given to Renaud IV, Sire de Pons, before passing into the hands of Jean-Louis Nogaret de La Valette, Duke of Épernon, who rebuilt it around 1555. After his excommunication in 1633, the Duke exiled and enlarged the estate, transformed into a county. The castle, emptied and then abandoned after estate disputes, was partially demolished from 1769 by Charles de Montazet, retaining only the foundations and ditches.

In the 18th century, a new castle was built at the site of the old, combining a central pavilion with broken attices and symmetrical wings. The stables and commons, added in the 19th century by the family of Dampierre, complete the whole. Occupied by the Rommel staff in 1940, the site is now protected as historical monuments (classifications in 2003 and 2008), including its gardens, walls and factories, which are included in the pre-inventory of remarkable gardens.

The park, lined with walls flanked by round towers, houses a vegetable garden, a pool and classified aisles. In 2020, the castle served as a setting for the show Secrets d'Histoire (France 3) for an episode on Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Siciles, Duchess of Berry, highlighting its role in the Salesian revolts. Stéphane Bern spoke of his choice to highlight unknown places, such as Plassac, linked to the history of the Bourbons.

Architecturally, the medieval castle, now extinct except its door of the pilgrim (flamboyant entrance castle), contrasted with the classic regularity of the 18th century castle. The escarp and counterscarp ditches, as well as the slate dependencies, testify to the successive transformations. The dotted roofs and triangular frontons illustrate the sober yet elegant style of reconstruction.

The current protections cover the entire estate: the castle (classified in 2008), its communes, its park and its landscape elements. The walls, towers and factories, classified or registered, reflect the heritage importance of the site, both military, residential and landscape. The castle remains a notable example of architectural evolution between the Middle Ages and the modern era in New Aquitaine.

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