Domaine du château de Campagne
CastleHidden Treasure
Domaine du château de Campagne, located in Campagne (Dordogne), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Castle
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Campagne, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.9090, 0.9677
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082427
Nestling in the heart of the Périgord Noir region, Château de Campagne combines 15th-century medieval towers with a Renaissance gallery, in a green setting redesigned in the 19th century by a Bordeaux nurseryman.
History
At the bend in the Vézère river, a few kilometres from Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, the Château de Campagne stands out with a discreet, almost secret elegance that you wouldn't suspect from the road. Flanked by round towers topped with slate and surrounded by parkland, it is one of the silhouettes that have made the Périgord Noir famous as a land of châteaux. What makes Campagne truly unique is its stratification, visible to the naked eye: the massive 15th-century towers, still marked by the caution of wartime, stand alongside a 17th-century wing adorned with an open gallery overlooking the courtyard, airy and light, which introduces a classical grace to the whole. The restoration work carried out between 1854 and 1882 harmonised these elements without erasing them, giving them that romantic patina characteristic of the Second Empire's taste for the Middle Ages rediscovered. The park is a destination in itself. Redesigned between 1857 and 1862 by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a nurseryman from Bordeaux, its shady paths, lawns and remarkable species are in the spirit of the English landscape gardens that were in vogue at the time. To stroll beneath its foliage is to walk through a carefully preserved idea of 19th-century aristocratic rural happiness. Since the transfer of ownership from the State to the Dordogne department in 2007, the estate has been part of the Conseil Départemental's network of sites, working to enhance its cultural and natural value. The outbuildings, arranged around three courtyards to the north of the château, are the perfect complement to the image of a living estate, firmly rooted in its territory. Campagne is a monument for lovers of slow walks, reading in the grass and history whispered between the stones. It doesn't overwhelm visitors with its grandeur; rather, it invites them to contemplate and be curious.
Architecture
The architecture of Château de Campagne is a composite whole, the result of six centuries of additions and alterations. The oldest part, dating from the 15th century, is dominated by round towers with machicolations, built of pale Périgord limestone and typical of late medieval military architecture in this region. Their thick walls, sparingly placed openings and crenellated crowns mark a time when noble residences still had to be able to defend themselves. The northern wing, added in the 17th century, adds a touch of lightness with its arcaded gallery opening onto the main courtyard. This feature, inspired by Italian loggias and their French adaptation, gives the building a welcome breath of fresh air. The steeply pitched roofs, redone or consolidated during the 19th-century renovations, visually unify the various buildings and give them that romantic silhouette so recognisable in the Périgord landscape. The outbuildings to the north of the château are laid out around three successive courtyards, in a functional layout that reflects the economic importance of the estate at its peak. The landscaped grounds that surround the estate are themselves an architectural feature in their own right: their winding paths, clumps of trees over a hundred years old and perspectives carefully designed by Rousseau blend harmoniously with the buildings to form a coherent whole, typical of the great Périgord estates of the late 19th century.
Related Figures
Famille de Calvimont — seigneurs de Campagne au XVe et XVIe siècle, acteurs de l'administration royale en PérigordJean-Jacques Rousseau — pépiniériste bordelais, concepteur du parc paysager (1857-1862)Ministère de la Culture — propriétaire de l'État ayant assuré la sauvegarde du domaine au XXe siècleConseil Départemental de la Dordogne — gestionnaire du domaine depuis le 1er juin 2007
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Domaine du château de Campagne located?
Domaine du château de Campagne is located in Campagne, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Domaine du château de Campagne built?
Domaine du château de Campagne dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Domaine du château de Campagne open to visitors?
Domaine du château de Campagne is currently closed to visitors.
