Guided tour 2 with historian Mickaël Thoury

Château-Dompierre is the full name of the seigneury on which this fine, distinguished residence stands. Originally, it was a mound overlooking a pond, as historians Ch. Rémy and Cl. Gravelat have clearly demonstrated. Château-Dompierre was probably a toll station associated with a place of worship – the Chapel of Saint-Martial, which was under the jurisdiction of the Chapter of Le Dorat – and a complex of motte-and-bailey castles – the rock or mound overlooking the pond and other more distant plots known as ‘mottes’. This complex was established by the powerful lords of Magnac as early as the 11th century. A branch of this family bore the title of ‘Lord of Château-Dompierre’ in the 14th century. It was during this period that Château-Dompierre was sold to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-Masseré (Saint-Germain-les-Belles) in Limousin, following the testamentary dispositions of Cardinal Hugues Roger, brother of Pope Clement VI. In the early 15th century, a certain Guillaume Poute, originally from Issoudun, held part of the Château-Dompierre estate from the canons of Masseré. In 1441, Percheron Poute, a squire, assumed the title of ‘Lord of Château-Dompierre’ and asked the Lord of Magnac for permission to fortify his ‘hostel’ in the upper bailey. He repeated this request in 1444 to the Count of La Marche to fortify the entire lower bailey. Were these fortification permits ever implemented? Today, nothing remains of it, save for traces of a noble residence within a farm building. In 1597, Jean Poute purchased all the rights to the seigneury from the canons of Masseré. The château we see today dates from the 17th century. It is arranged around a square courtyard and features two fine pavilions with large windows. The Renaissance-style stone staircase is remarkable. This residence hosted illustrious figures in the 17th century, such as Joseph du Bernet, first president of the Parliament of Bordeaux, then in exile in Limousin and father-in-law of the lord of Château-Dompierre. Lucrèce de Béthunes, cousin of the famous minister Sully and godmother to Jehan Poute de Dompierre, and Gaston de Secondat de Montesquieu, grandfather of the famous philosopher and brother of the Lady of Dompierre, were regular guests at the château. Terraces with arcades and staircases were built, and one garden even bore the name ‘Versailles’. From the 18th century onwards, the château was let to a family of stewards, the Marcoul de Lagorce. The Poute de Dompierre family preferred to stay at their château in Nieul-le-Viroul in Saintonges (Charente-Maritime). Claude-Arnoul Poute, Lord of Château-Dompierre and Marquis of Nieul, enlisted in the War of Independence in the Americas; as a frigate captain, he distinguished himself during his nineteen campaigns at sea, notably during the naval battle of Ouessant in 1778. During the French Revolution, Admiral Poute de Nieul chose to go into exile. Château-Dompierre was then sold as national property to the Marcoul Lagorce family. Around 1830, Antoine Marcoul Lagorce, the new lord of Dompierre and mayor of the commune, had the idea of setting up a cloth factory in place of his mill. This proved a failure due to a lack of markets. The château then passed through marriage to the Moreau Lajarrige family, which included two doctors. In 1882, Jean-Baptiste-Adolphe Moreau Lajarrige undertook some alterations to the south wing of the château, created a peristyle with antique columns, and enclosed the courtyard using the old walls from the façade of one of the wings destroyed in 1852. 

Michaël THOURY, historian