Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of the Carpia, located in Castillon-de-Castets en Gironde, consists of a body of rectangular houses joined to a 15th century square tower, originally designed as a defence tool. It was transformed into a stair tower during the Renaissance, and was modified in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries with the addition of successive doors, windows and enlargements. The stone tower probably replaces an ancient wooden structure, while the house, dated from the 16th century, has vertical and cruciform murderers, suggesting a posterior elevation.

The castle was acquired in 1641 by Jean de Baritault, a lawyer general and anointed by the king's secretary, and became the property of his descendants, including Jean-Éléazar de Baritault, a universal heir. The family, still owner after 11 generations, now operates 133 ha of land in organic farming (cereals and wines AOC Bordeaux). The estate, which was listed as a historic monument in 2004, also includes an orangery, a dovecote and communes closing the courtyard to the south.

Between the 18th and 20th centuries, the castle had several extensions: a west wing in the 18th century, the expansions consulted by architect Léo Drouyn in the 19th century, and a last extension to the 20th century to connect the eastern commune. The tower, a historic heart, illustrates the architectural evolution of the site, from a defensive to a residential function. The castle also served as a setting for two television films in the 1990s: Children in the Trees (1994) and Les Filles du maître de chai (1997).

The protected elements since 2004 include the castle, orangery, dovecote, commons, fence wall and entrance gate. The park, bordered by a small forest to the south and ancient moat to the north, preserves traces of its seigneurial past. The land, now separated from the castle, is managed by the sister of the last owner, perpetuating a vineyard and organic cereal business since 2009.

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