Château de Guilleragues
Encyclopedia
The Château de Guilleragues is a medieval, previously ruined but restored castle
in the commune
of Saint-Sulpice-de-Guilleragues
in the Gironde
département of France.
This early 14th century castle, built at the side of a small valley, consists of a long rectangular building, composed of a fortified house flanked by two towers and two watchtowers at either extremity of an annexe of the same height, from 1564. The lower court and the common buildings in the north east also date from the 16th century.
Chateau de Guilleragues (pronunciation: [geeyerahg]) was built in many stages and went through many changes in its 800 year old history. The oldest parts and foundations date back to the 12th century. Little is known about the earliest dates and status of the structure back then. More obvious are parts built in the 13th and 14th century.
The building must have been two or three separate structures initially, which were joint at some point later. The best known occupants of the castle are the De Lavergne family, who owned the castle in the 16th and 17th century. In fact, a major change took place in the 1560s, where windows were enlarged and added, doors where enlarged and many decorative features were added, changing the castle from a fortified structure with defense as its main function to a livable, more luxurious stately home.
In a large, intricate relief above the main entrance with columns, symbols and lions, the year '1564' is inscribed on the family coat of arms. This portal is listed separately in the historical monument (IMH) register. Displayed below is the coat of arms in detail, found elsewhere within the castle. It is the combination of Lavergne and Lestonnac arms.
The residence belonged in the 17th century to Gabriel-Joseph de Lavergne, Vicomte de Guilleragues
, a brilliant diplomat and author of the Les Lettres portugaises
(En. Letters of a Portuguese Nun). Privately owned, it has been listed since 1954 as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture.
The castle has hidden treasures and "lost rooms". There have been multiple "ghost sightings".
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Saint-Sulpice-de-Guilleragues
Saint-Sulpice-de-Guilleragues
Saint-Sulpice-de-Guilleragues is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the Gironde
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
département of France.
This early 14th century castle, built at the side of a small valley, consists of a long rectangular building, composed of a fortified house flanked by two towers and two watchtowers at either extremity of an annexe of the same height, from 1564. The lower court and the common buildings in the north east also date from the 16th century.
Chateau de Guilleragues (pronunciation: [geeyerahg]) was built in many stages and went through many changes in its 800 year old history. The oldest parts and foundations date back to the 12th century. Little is known about the earliest dates and status of the structure back then. More obvious are parts built in the 13th and 14th century.
The building must have been two or three separate structures initially, which were joint at some point later. The best known occupants of the castle are the De Lavergne family, who owned the castle in the 16th and 17th century. In fact, a major change took place in the 1560s, where windows were enlarged and added, doors where enlarged and many decorative features were added, changing the castle from a fortified structure with defense as its main function to a livable, more luxurious stately home.
In a large, intricate relief above the main entrance with columns, symbols and lions, the year '1564' is inscribed on the family coat of arms. This portal is listed separately in the historical monument (IMH) register. Displayed below is the coat of arms in detail, found elsewhere within the castle. It is the combination of Lavergne and Lestonnac arms.
The residence belonged in the 17th century to Gabriel-Joseph de Lavergne, Vicomte de Guilleragues
Gabriel de Guilleragues
Gabriel-Joseph de Lavergne, comte de Guilleragues , was a French politician of the 17th century.For a time, he was secretary of the King's Chamber, and he also director of the Gazette de France....
, a brilliant diplomat and author of the Les Lettres portugaises
Letters of a Portuguese Nun
The Letters of a Portuguese Nun , first published anonymously by Claude Barbin in Paris in 1669, is a work believed by most scholars to be epistolary fiction in the form of five letters written by Gabriel-Joseph de La Vergne, comte de Guilleragues , a minor peer, diplomat, secretary to the Prince...
(En. Letters of a Portuguese Nun). Privately owned, it has been listed since 1954 as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture.
The castle has hidden treasures and "lost rooms". There have been multiple "ghost sightings".