Château de Nontron

En un regard

Le château en bref

Occupying a rocky spur overlooking the Bandiat valley since the 8th century, the site of Nontron has successively hosted a Carolingian monastery, a Romanesque fortress and then a classical château. Ravaged during the Wars of Religion in 1569 and later by several fires, the old fortress gave way, between 1751 and 1788, to the elegant present-day château commissioned by Jean-Charles de Lavie, président at the Parlement of Bordeaux — only the vaulted cellars still recall its medieval past today. Purchased by the municipality in 1984, the building first housed a doll museum before becoming, in 2009, the home of the Pôle expérimental des métiers d'art (Experimental Centre for Arts and Crafts). A major restoration, supported by the Mission Patrimoine and sponsorship from Axa, made it possible to rehabilitate the whole complex between 2022 and 2023; the château now welcomes nearly 16,000 visitors a year.