Château de Lagarette
CastleHidden Treasure
Château de Lagarette, located in Camblanes-et-Meynac (Gironde), 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
- Camblanes-et-Meynac, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.7668, -0.4905
- Mérimée Reference
- PA33000052
On the outskirts of Bordeaux, Château de Lagarette hides behind its 15th-century walls an exceptional secular mural: a medieval battle scene with archers and knights, extremely rare in the Gironde.
History
Nestling in the village of Camblanes-et-Meynac, on the borders of the Entre-Deux-Mers region and the right bank of the Garonne, Château de Lagarette is one of those discreet buildings that hold surprises of rare intensity in store for the discerning visitor. Far from the spectacular fortresses of the region, it is the epitome of a provincial manor house in all its sobriety and authenticity, preserved over the centuries in a setting of vines. What sets Lagarette apart from its peers is above all its interior treasure: a secular mural dating from the late 15th century, depicting a battle scene with archers and knights in armour. This type of figurative decoration painted directly onto the walls of a private residence is extremely rare in the Gironde, and gives the château a heritage value that far exceeds its modest size. Visitors entering these rooms are confronted with a direct testimony to the culture of chivalry and the warrior imagination of the late Middle Ages. The building itself has an appealing morphology: a two-storey rectangular main building flanked by an imposing pavilion, linked by a turret topped by an elegant peppered roof. This composite silhouette, the result of several building campaigns between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, is a perfect illustration of the changing tastes and needs of a Bordeaux noble family over the long term. The estate is also inextricably linked with the Bordeaux vineyards. As a wine-producing estate in the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux appellation, Lagarette perpetuates an agricultural and wine-producing vocation that undoubtedly dates back to medieval times, making this monument an integral part of the cultural and economic landscape of the wine-producing Gironde. To come to Lagarette is to combine the heritage of the buildings, the history of the arts and the culture of wine, all in the same place, steeped in an authentic, unspoilt atmosphere.
Architecture
Château de Lagarette features an architectural composition typical of Gascon stately homes in the transitional period between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The ensemble is built around two main volumes: a sober, massive, rectangular, two-storey main building and a large pavilion attached to it, creating an L-shaped layout opening onto the inner courtyard. At the corner formed by these two sections is a circular turret topped with a pepperpot roof, a picturesque feature that adds verticality and dynamism to the overall silhouette. This layout - dwelling, pavilion and staircase turret - was a recurring feature of residential architecture in the south-west of France at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The openings are the main stylistic feature of the building. Those in the pavilion, with their proportions and profiles typical of the late 16th century, contrast with the windows in the main building, whose rhythm and style suggest 18th-century alterations. The building is constructed using local materials, most likely the golden limestone typical of the quarries in the Entre-Deux-Mers and Garonne regions, which gives the whole a beautiful chromatic harmony with the surrounding wine-growing landscape. However, the major architectural interest of the château lies in its interior decoration, and more specifically in the secular mural painting dating from the late 15th century. This fresco depicting a lively battle scene - archers bending their bows, knights in armour engaged in combat - is of a rare quality of execution for a rural building of this scale. It bears witness to the influence of Burgundian and Flemish iconographic models, which were highly prized by the Guiana nobility at the time, and is an exceptional document on the chivalric imagination and decorative practices of the provincial elites at the end of the Middle Ages.
Related Figures
Seigneur fondateur inconnu (fin XVe siècle) — commanditaire du logis initial et de la peinture murale médiévalePropriétaire du XVIe siècle — maître d'œuvre de l'agrandissement du pavillon et des remaniements RenaissanceFamille nobiliaire guyennaise (XVIIe siècle) — responsable des remaniements classiques et du développement du vignoblePropriétaires du XVIIIe siècle — auteurs des dernières modifications des ouvertures du corps de logis
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de Lagarette located?
Château de Lagarette is located in Camblanes-et-Meynac, Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Château de Lagarette built?
Château de Lagarette dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château de Lagarette open to visitors?
Château de Lagarette is currently closed to visitors.
