Château de Lascours
CastleHidden Treasure
Château de Lascours, located in Carsac-Aillac (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
- Carsac-Aillac, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8618, 1.2717
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082433
Nestled in the Périgord Noir, the château de Lascours displays its understated elegance: a 15th–16th century manor house crowned with a pepper-pot tower, surrounded by a pleasure garden preserved in the heart of the vallée de la Dordogne.
History
Around the bend in the wooded paths that criss-cross the Périgord Noir, Château de Lascours reveals itself with the restraint typical of residences that have never tried to impose themselves. This discreet manor house, listed as a Historic Monument since 1973, embodies the rural nobility of the Périgord who preferred the comfort of a fine home to the ostentation of grand royal residences. Its composite silhouette, in which the rectangular main building sits alongside a round tower topped with a pepperpot roof, bears witness to a pivotal period between the harshness of the Middle Ages and the gentle beginnings of the French Renaissance. What distinguishes Lascours from its many neighbouring castles is precisely this preserved intimacy. Neither a fortress nor a palace, the manor house belongs to that rare category of "noble dwellings" - a term formerly used in Périgord to designate the homes of the country gentry, which were both residences and farming centres. The ensemble, with its inner courtyard bordered by outbuildings and its enclosing wall, forms a self-contained microcosm that has survived the centuries without losing its soul. For the attentive visitor, the wooden spiral staircase leading to the upper floor of the round tower is one of the most captivating features of the site: a rare survivor of the vagaries of time, this period carpentry reveals the very texture of the 16th century. The square tower in the south-east corner further enhances the architectural interpretation of the complex, revealing the different phases of construction and adaptation of the monument. The ornamental garden surrounding the château is also an enchanting feature. In this region of the Dordogne, where nature always reclaims its rights, the green surroundings of the manor house offer a serene setting that naturally extends the visit. The site of Carsac-Aillac, between Sarlat and Souillac, places Lascours at the heart of an area with an exceptional wealth of heritage, making it an invaluable stop-off point for anyone exploring the Périgord Noir off the beaten track.
Architecture
Château de Lascours is a faithful illustration of the type of Périgord noble manor house built at the end of the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance, characterised by an asymmetrical composition that reflects the different phases of construction and the successive needs of its inhabitants. The main building, rectangular in plan, forms the original core of the complex: its thick walls of Périgord limestone, in warm shades ranging from beige to golden depending on the time of day and the light, give it the benevolent solidity typical of local architecture. At the north corner of the dwelling stands the round tower that gives the château its most distinctive silhouette. Capped by a peppered roof - the pointed cone so emblematic of late medieval architecture - its sides house a wooden spiral staircase, a remarkably well-preserved feature that served the upper floor. This period joinery, a fragile survivor of the centuries, is one of the most precious testimonies to the building's construction. In the south-east corner of this tower, a converted square tower completes the layout, creating the interplay of volumes and angles that gives the manor its picturesque, complex silhouette. The spatial organisation of the estate reveals the logic of a complex that is both residential and agricultural. To the north of the main building is an inner courtyard, enclosed by a wall and framed by outbuildings that once served the estate's economic functions. All around the château, a pleasure garden provides the landscape touch that signals the residential and representative vocation of the site - a care for the living environment typical of the small provincial nobility of the Renaissance.
Related Figures
Famille noble anonyme du XVe siècle — premiers constructeurs probables du repaireSeigneurs de Lascours (fin XVIe siècle) — premiers occupants réguliers attestés du manoir comme résidence principalePropriétaires successifs de l'Ancien Régime — responsables des agrandissements et remaniements RenaissanceAndré Malraux (ministre des Affaires culturelles) — sous son ministère furent engagées de nombreuses protections MH en Périgord, contexte de l'inscription de 1973
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de Lascours located?
Château de Lascours is located in Carsac-Aillac, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Château de Lascours built?
Château de Lascours dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château de Lascours open to visitors?
Château de Lascours is currently closed to visitors.
