Chateau de Hautefort:Floating Like a Dream

By Arnie Greenberg
Contact Arnie at
ultours@gmail.com

I had written about it, but never visited. When I thought of the Perigord and the 1001 chateaux, I was captured by one special place, Hautefort. If you read my book, A Man of Taste, on these pages, you will understand why. (Click here for A Man of Taste).

It was the perfect setting for a mystery, and since a Hollywood movie was set here and mention was made of DaVinci having a tentative connection with Hautefort, I set my book here. Now I would visit the chateau of my dreams for the first time. It was, let me say, everything I thought it would be and more.

Approaching from Dordogne in the South

I approached from the Dordogne in the south and there it was, high on a hilltop as if floating like a dream. The cluster of houses jutting from the walls seemed peaceful and filled with history.

(A view of the village rooftops near the Hautefort chateau)

I drove around the chateau and admired not only its commanding view of the verdant valley, but its solidity, its magnificence, and its style. I am not new to French chateaus, but this was different. I could see why it would have been established as a defense location by the Romans.

In the 12th century it was the subject of dispute concerning the succession of Henry II, the Plantaganet King of England.
By the 16th century the fortress underwent modifications during the religious wars, and then in the 17th century, the Marquis de Hautefort commissioned the construction of a stately home in honor of his sister Marie along the lines of the chateaux being built along the Loire.

Hautefort: The Epitome of Chateaux

But Hautefort became the epitome of chateaux. The furniture, the design and surroundings with terraced gardens, made it one of the finest in France.

Over the years it has been added to, altered and beautified. Between two main towers, a terrace was set up with a view to the south. Below, the French gardens offer a feast for the eye with beds and box trees sculptured in geometrical forms. Shaped by sheep shearing scissors called 'forces' (strength) in French, these shears became part of the coat of arms of the Hautefort family.

(The impressive blue-and-gold canopied bed of the Chateau Hautefort)

Within there's an impressive corridor and a huge stairway. The chimney room is from the original building, and the apartments and entrance hall display blue-and-gold canopied beds and well-appointed rooms with wonderful views.

Catherine de Medicis and Henry III

There are 16th-century polychrome enameled plaques portraying Catherine de Medicis and Henry III. There are also his and hers bedrooms in teal blue or red, a drawing room, a study and an additional lady's boudoir. Beyond the tearoom is a hidden passage that allows you to visit rooms on the ground floor.

(The magnificent gardens of the chateau)

There you will see a magnificent dining room fit for royalty with an enormous fireplace at one end. There is a guest room beautifully furnished and a tapestry room where Queen Marie-Therese's portrait hangs. Here, too, there are 17th-century tapestries from Brussels depicting Antony and Cleopatra.

Across the courtyard you enter the round chapel with a beautiful copula painted in trompe l'oeil that appears like a coffered dome. The center is crowned with a trinity symbol against a gold background. The altar is 19th century, and the mosaic floor is typically Perigordian. Here the style is called "pise."

The chateau was reborn after a fire, and nobody would have believed that this once-great residence-fortress could be rebuilt after it had been reduced to nothing more than the image of ruin from the village below. This was the second time it had to be restored. In 1929 it was purchased by the Baron and Baroness de Bastard.

(To be seated in such elegant surroundings is one of the magical high points of a visit to the chateau)

They had intended to restore it, but the depression in 1930 put a stop to their plans. In 1968, Hautefort was reduced to a blackened ruin. It was then that it started its new life. What you see now was rebuilt after a fundraising campaign that collected over 2 million francs. A national symbol would be rebuilt. Hautefort became a symbol of the shift of opinion in France to rebuild her treasures.

Interior Refurbished by the Baroness

The interior was refurbished by the baroness, who died in 1999. The chateau was given to a foundation established to preserve it. This foundation now employs a group of people who maintain the chateau and the grounds. Today, Hautefort is a welcoming magnet with almost 75,000 visitors a year. The country's heritage has been passed down to the people.

In a vaulted cellar there is a boutique where visitors can purchase souvenirs related to the chateau's history and gardens.

I was encouraged by the staff to photograph the interior, the magnificent gardens, and Baroness de Bastard's gushing fountain that is her symbol of a dream.

(Guests at the chateau dined in elegance)

I wandered around the chateau totally alone with my wife.

"Enter at will," the administrator said. "Take any pictures you like."
I felt honored. Hopefully my article and book will bring more visitors to this wonderful dream-like place. They are not open at all in December and January but will greet you at different times during the year. Call ahead for exact times. Or consult the web cite.

You may also select Hautefort as a place to hold a wedding. The chapel is perfect, the dining room sumptuous, and the courtyard perfect for a banquet under the stars.

Tel: 05 53 50 51 23
www.best-of-perigord.tm.fr

(Click below for more travel).