The Villemur

The Château de Bonnac was first built between 1494 and 1509 for Gaspard de VILLEMUR, sénéchal to the Count of Foix and Seigneur of Bonnac, on clay walls which are still in existence. We are told by knowlegeable historians that the walls had been built by the local inhabitants some time before with the intention of building a safe haven for the villagers. This was never achieved due to the difficulties of the wars, the plague, the mortality rate and all the other problems of the time and so the project was abandoned. At the end of the 15th Century the Seigneur took the property for his own to give him a space in which to build a house - if he so chose.

The clay wall can be seen inside the meurtrière which has been uncovered in the grand salon on the ground floor.

 

 

The monumental fireplaces of the salon, dining room and bedroom date from this first construction.

 

The d'Usson

In 1649 Annet de Villemur sold the title and the château in order to raise money for her daughter. The château was described as uninhabited and in ruins at the time. The family d'USSON bought it and renovated it. The château stayed in the d'Usson family until the death of the last Marquis of Bonnac in 1778. For over a century from 1685 to 1785 the d'Ussons of Bonnac supplied the kings of France with numerous ambassadeurs serving foreign courts. These cultivated and well-lettered men kept up correspondence with the major philosophers and writers of their time - Pierre Bayle, Racine, La Fontaine, Leibnitz, Voltaire, Rousseau.

The Abbey de Monteils

On the death of the last Marquis of Bonnac the heirs declined succession because of accumulated debts. The château was sold by auction in 1784 to the Abbey of Monteils. The entire first floor was renovated and decorated as well as the chapel and grand salon.

In 1816 the Château of Bonnac became the property of the CHARLY family from Pamiers, the last descendant of whom left the château to his niece, the Countess Guy de Monts de Savasse. The current owner, René de Laportalière, is her grandson.

A plaque detailing the history of Bonnac, the Seigneurial house, the château and it's successive owners is available on the premises. The Ministry of Culture also gives a detailed description of the château and reports the principal historical information on their site.