Name - Chateau de Hautefort
Location - Hautefort
Department - Dordogne 24
State - Chateau
The ancient fortress dates back to the early Middle Ages, as proved by the first document quoting its existence as early as 987. A house of Gouffier de Lastours, who won fame during the First Crusade, the castle then became the seigneurial home of the troubadour Bertran de Born, who was viscount of Hautefort.
The Chateau de Hautefort is a French chateau and gardens located in the town of Hautefort in the Dordogne Department of France.The chateau was reconstructed in the 17th century, and embellished with a Garden ? la francaise. In 1853, the landscape architect, Count of Choulot, redid the gardens, adding a landscape garden, geometric flower gardens, topiary gardens imitating the domes of the chateau, and a long tunnel of greenery. Next to the formal gardens is a hill with an Italian garden with winding shaded paths. Notable trees in the park include a Magnolia grandiflora and a Cedar of Lebanon. The gardens are listed by the Committee of Parks and Gardens of the Ministry of Culture of France as one of the Notable Gardens of France.
It stands in an enviable position overlooking the Auvezere Valley and Hautefort village, a grand chateau with two wings each terminating in a round tower. The whole is surrounded by impressive French style formal gardens. It is a style of chateau little known in the Dordogne and more like those built by the nobles in the Loire Valley.
Standing on the position of an earlier, 12th century, chateau Hautefort was built in the middle of the 17th century. After subsequently falling into disrepair, it became the life work of the Baron and Baronnesse de Bastard to reconstruct and renovate the chateau, a task that took several decades during the middle of the 20th century, to be completed by 1968 (after the baron had died his wife continued alone).
In a terrible turn of events, shortly after four decades of work had been completed the chateau burned to the ground. Undeterred the baroness resumed work again, and the chateau was again renovated. The resulting fine castle is a tribute to the eforts of the two of them (a room in one of the towers of the chateau commemorates the events of the incendiary in 1968).
