Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Vayres, built in the 14th century as a medieval fortress overlooking the Dordogne, was a strategic point for the defence of Bordeaux. Its origins date back to a Gallo-Roman oppidum, replaced by a wooden castle, then stone in the 11th century. The Albret family made a strong place for almost 300 years, marking its history with alliances and conflicts, especially during the Hundred Years War, where the castle changed hands several times between French and English.

In the 16th century, Henri de Navarre (future Henri IV) inherited the castle before selling it in 1583 in Ogier de Gourgue, which transformed it into an elegant Renaissance residence. The manerist façade, attributed to architect Louis de Foix, and the interior layouts reflect this fascination. The castle, however, suffered damage during the Fronde in the 17th century, before being restored around 1700 by Jacques-Joseph de Gourgue, bishop of Bazas, who added a monumental staircase and modernized access.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 2001, Vayres Castle has traversed centuries remaining a private, inhabited and preserved property. His gardens, recreated in 1938 by landscape architect Louis-Ferdinand Duprat, are labeled "Remarkable Garden". Today, the estate combines cultural visits, educational activities and costumed events, perpetuating its heritage between the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

The site, which has been occupied since antiquity as evidenced by the Gallo-Roman remains, illustrates the architectural and political evolution of the region. Gourgue's family, owner until the beginning of the 20th century, marked the castle with its imprint, before it passed into the hands of private individuals and investors, like Gilles Etrillard, current manager via his sister Sylvie Boucly.

The protected elements include facades, roofs, mill and gardens, while the interiors, renovated over the centuries, house parlors and a library. The castle, open to the public from Easter to Toussaint, offers playful routes and theatrical night, based on its rich history, linked to Bordeaux, the Albret, and the stylistic transformations of the Renaissance in the classical era.

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