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Origin and history

The present castle of Aiguillon, built between 1765 and 1780, replaces two medieval fortresses of the 13th century: the castle of Lunac, partially demolished in 1346 during the siege of Aiguillon by the French troops, and the castle of Fossat, disappeared in the 19th century. These two buildings dominated the confluence of the Lot and the Garonne, playing a strategic role during the Hundred Years' War. Lunac Castle, the oldest, was built on Gallo-Roman ruins and belonged successively to the Lords of Lunac, Montpezat, and then to the Malvin de Montazet until 1739.

The duchy of Aiguillon, erected in 1599 by Henry IV, passed into the hands of several noble families, including the Lorraine, the Richelieu and the Vignerot du Plessis. In 1731, the title of Duke of Aiguillon was restored for Armand-Louis de Vignerot du Plessis, whose son, Emmanuel-Armand, began the construction of the present castle. The latter, inspired by French classical architecture, includes a court of honour and elevations decorated with pediments carved by Barthélemy Cabirol. The works, led by André Mollié and Charles Le Roy, spread from 1765 to 1780, but the castle remained unfinished at the Duke's death in 1788.

After the Revolution, the castle was declared national in 1792. Its furniture, including a rich collection of art works and a music library, is dispersed or destroyed. Part of the paintings join the museum of Agen, while 392 volumes of scores are kept in the departmental archives. In the 19th century, the castle became a tobacco store and was partially classified as a historical monument in 1925 and 1951. Restored between 1964 and 1966, it now houses Stendhal High School.

The remains of the ancient castles, especially those of the Fossat, were demolished in the early 19th century to give way to the monumental courtyard planned by the Duke. The initial project, ambitious, provided for a symmetrical north wing, never built. The facades and roofs, as well as the wrought iron ramp of the staircase, have been protected since 1925. The castle bears witness to tensions between feudal rights and liberal ideas emerging at the end of the eighteenth century.

The castle of Aiguillon also embodies the duchy's cultural heritage, marked by the patronage of the dukes, especially in music. Emmanuel-Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, the last Duke, maintained a theatre and orchestra, reflecting the fascist of the aristocracy before the Revolution. His exile in 1792 and the sale of property marked the end of that period, while the building, transformed into a school, perpetuated part of his history.

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