Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château des Milandes was built in 1489 by François de Caumont for his wife, Claude de Cardaillac, to offer a home less austere than the nearby Castelnaud castle. The building, typical of the late Middle Ages, preserves defensive elements such as turrets and gargoyles, while integrating door windows and stained glass windows for more brightness. Jacques Nompar de Caumont, close to Henry IV, stayed there frequently. The castle became a symbol of refinement for the family of Caumont, Protestant lords of the region.

At the Revolution, the castle was abandoned and sold as a national good. In 1900, after a fire, industrialist Charles-Auguste Delbret-Claverie bought it and undertook an ambitious restoration under the direction of architect Henri Lafillé. Neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance elements are added (tours, balconies, allegorical sculptures), as well as a French garden designed by Jules Vacherot in 1908. A 16th-century chapel, listed as a historic monument in 1926, returned to the estate in 2018 after a cadastral error. The frescoes and an crypt are discovered.

In 1937, Josephine Baker rented the castle before buying it in 1947 with her husband Jo Bouillon. It features modern comfort (electricity, central heating) and beautifies with mosaic floors and a golden bathroom, inspired by the Arpeège bottle. The estate becomes an avant-garde tourist resort, the Village du Monde, welcoming artists like Dalida or Luis Mariano. Baker lives there with his twelve adopted children, his rainbow tribe, symbolizing his fight against racism. She lost the castle in 1968 despite the support of personalities such as Brigitte Bardot or Fidel Castro.

After Baker, four families succeeded each other as owners. In 1986, facades and roofs were classified as historical monuments, followed in 2009 by a total inscription of the castle, its park and its outbuildings. Since 2001, he has had an exhibition dedicated to him, and raptors' shows are held annually. In 2013, the castle received the label Maisons des Illustres, highlighting its link with Josephine Baker. With 200,000 visitors in 2022, it is the fifth tourist site in Dordogne.

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