THE STORY
Bridoire Castle: 900 years of history
FROM THE 12TH TO THE 19TH CENTURY
The medieval castle was built between the 12th and 19th centuries . A Roman oppidum must have been the origin of the current castle.
During the Hundred Years' War , Bridoire was the scene of alternating defeats and victories between the English and French camps. Partially destroyed during this stormy period, the architecture of Bridoire was profoundly reworked in the 15th and 16th centuries.
During the Wars of Religion , Bridoire was a Catholic stronghold that challenged its neighbor Monbazillac, an imposing Huguenot fortress. Bridoire suffered a succession of assaults on its walls. The wounds were cruelly etched into its mineral flesh.
Amidst this incessant din of weapons, there are fortunately a few “breaths of fresh air”. Like that of July 30, 1576. That day is a celebration for the castle. Henri de Navarre , future king of France, stops for dinner in Bridoire, at the home of his friend Blaise de Pardaillan .
At the beginning of the 13th century , Bridoire entered the Souillac family. It was through the marriage of a Souillac woman that it passed in 1806 to the Foucauld de Lardimalie family .
19th century
A new era for Bridoire
The Marquis de Foucauld at the end of the 19th century undertook a major restoration of the castle. It was he who gave Bridoire its present appearance. Two of the three damaged 15th century towers were rebuilt.
At the castle, he added large ornate dormer windows. He completed the rear façade with a winter garden with its terrace. He also fitted out the reception rooms on the ground floor in the taste of the time, in the "troubadour" style. In the East Tower, he created a chapel .
It was here that his nephew, Father Charles de Foucauld (canonized in May 2022 by Pope Francis) , celebrated several services during his stays in Dordogne in 1911 and 1913.
In 1939 , Bridoire was sold to a Swiss industrialist, who lived there until 1978. Wanting to return to his native country, he offered his castle to the town for a symbolic franc at the time. But the town refused, frightened by the maintenance and management of such a heritage. The castle was then sold in 1978 to a mysterious Senegalese company...
1978 to 2011
The descent into hell
The castle's doors are not properly closed and there is no guardian: it becomes a kingdom for looters , and the looting begins. Rumors are circulating about Bokassa 's shadow. In ten years, the castle has suffered more outrages than it had in the previous three centuries. The risk of fire is great, and the parquet floors are burned in the fireplaces. The gendarmerie cannot intervene on a private property without the owner's permission. This is a case of failure to assist endangered heritage.
An association was set up to try to get things moving. In 1992 , it obtained the automatic classification of the castle as a Historic Monument .
In 2003 , the State expropriated the castle and launched a call for tenders to find a buyer.
Since 2011
The Guyot family
Moved by the tragic story of Bridoire, Catherine and Jacques Guyot purchased Bridoire from the State on September 13, 2011 .
A 6-month campaign of lightning works is launched with craftsmen and volunteers to get Bridoire back on track and open it to the public in July 2012. A successful bet: Bridoire will welcome more than 40,000 visitors for its first season! A new phase of works can be carried out the following year. Today, more than 70,000 visitors each year participate in the preservation of the castle.
Bridoire is now furnished and inhabited year-round by their daughter Alice who has taken over the torch.
Today
A refurbished and inhabited castle
Discover more than 15 furnished rooms : vaulted kitchen with its beautiful collection of copper, dining room, billiards, living room, weapons room, bedrooms, attic with framework, underground cellars without forgetting the stables with our horses and ponies.
Bridoire is also the Château des Jeux: more than 100 giant wooden games will liven up your visit to the exterior and interior of the château.
In summer, don't miss our late-night events: Haunted Nights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays / Aperitif at the castle on Thursday evenings.
