Château de Xaintrailles

En un regard

Le château en bref

On the former Ténarèze road, the feudal site of Xaintrailles has been known since the 12th century; a castrum is mentioned there in 1259, shared between three co-lords of the Xaintrailles lineage. In the 15th century, Jean Poton de Xaintrailles, Marshal of France and companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc, had the present château built on the foundations of his ancestors' castle, retaining the central keep; his successors Bernard de Lamothe and Antoine de Chamborel, governors of Casteljaloux, added two towers and the north wing. Decorative turrets and defensive features completed the ensemble in the 16th century, followed by a staircase and a vestibule in the 18th century. Small residential wings enclose three sides of a square courtyard flanked by turrets, a layout that Viollet-le-Duc adopted as the model for the manor house. Listed as a historic monument as early as 1840, the estate, together with its gardens, belongs to a private company and may be visited freely or by appointment, with guided tours during the Journées du patrimoine.