Château de Hautefort

The castle stands on a rocky spur that overlooks the commune and the village of Hautefort. Created over a period from the late sixteenth century to the late seventeenth century on the foundations of an old fortress, its architecture clearly evokes the Loire châteaux. It was built from the sixteenth century under the direction of the architects Nicolas Rambourg then Jacques Maigret, for the family of the marquises of Hautefort, close to the King and holding important offices at the French Court. The family was much appreciated by local people for its generosity towards the poor. Marquis Jacques-François de Hautefort had a hospice built in the village in the shape of a Greek cross, in the same architectural style as the castle with its large central dome. At the Revolution, the castle and the family were defended by the inhabitants of Hautefort. A Convention army from Excideuil planned to destroy it as a symbol of Ancien Régime feudalism. The villagers melted down their copperware to make weapons and saved their castle from destruction.

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