A unique project backup and reconstitution of a castle in the Fifteenth century.

Very little is known of Atton de Salignac, the first of that name. It is the oldest Salignac known, father of Geoffroy de Salignac, born in the year 980.

Based on a rocky outcrop occupied since prehistoric times, including at the level of the caves (now buried), The first mention well-known of the manor of Salignac date of 1040 in the chronicles of the abbey of Sainte Foy de Conques.

This is from the Eleventh century, the first stone constructions appear. 

Hugues de Salignac, lord of Salignac, sailed for the first crusade to the Holy Land. Its coat of arms decorates the hall of the crusades in the palace of Versailles.

In the course of the Thirteenth century, the castle became a co-lordshipeach lord with a part of the fortifications, and obliged to defend this area. The presence of two dungeons, connected by a curtain wall, but does not have a door of communication, just to confirm this.

 During the Thirteenth and Fourteenth centuries, the castle continues to grow and welcome new co-seigneurs. We will count up to 10 (4 Salignac and 10 other lords). The fortifications come to surround the rock and to improve the defence of access to the castle.

The Salignac continue to grow in importance over the centuries. Raymond de Salignac became seneschal of Périgord and Quercy in the years 1450. In 1460 to his death, his son, Antoine de Salignac, who himself becomes a seneschal of Périgord in 1470, the main lieutenant of the count of Périgord (d'albret, councillor and chamberlain of Charles VIII, becomes the lord dominant on the high place. It will be the first Salignac to bear the title of baron. The castle has suffered much damage during the 100 years war, Antoine de Salignac, began the great work to restore the castle, and make adjustments to the height of its statute, the latter that the website will know. A vast body of logis sees the light of day in the 1470s. A staircase tower comes unify this new construction of the Tower of Saint Martial, its chapel and its large front porch, serving all of the buildings. These major works allow the creation of two further rooms pageantry and the grand facade with windows braces, treated with the greatest care, which is still visible today.

After the death of Antoine de Salignac in 1498, the castle was passed to his son, Bertrand de Salignac, who had only daughters. Arming of Gontaut, took over as well in 1545 to Salignac by marrying one of the daughters of Bertrand, Jeanne de Salignac, which brought as a dowry the manor of Salignac. His fortune is not considerable, he was forced to sell its property to keep the castle of the Salignac.

The tower of Saint Martial, one of the dungeons of the castle and tower girlfriend, collapses at the end of the Seventeenth century. It brings with it a part of the castle vault. None of the two will never be rebuilt.

Without maintenance, the buildings will gradually collapse, some, including the guard, were still standing in 1910. The castle eventually came to be built at great expense in the 1920s with the clearing of the ruins at the level of the first floor and the backfill massif of the castle to create three levels of terrace today.

Lucien de Maleville

The site of Salignac was protected for the first time in 1944, following the massive recruitment during the war of inspectors for the implementation of the act of 1930, designed to protect the remarkable sites of France.

The inspector of Maleville, a painter, is one of them. He had a fondness for nature and the countryside that he especially enjoyed his point of view of a painter. Found in the protected sites, that it wants to capture, and to never, the poetry of his paintings.

It will be the arousing of cultural sites and landscapes of the Dordogne. His talent as a painter would bring the Administration of his sense of observation and perception of the spaces to be protected. Between 1942 and 1963, Lucien de Maleville will identify approximately 80 sites. 53 will be retained by the Administration.

The site of Salignac, including all the lower village and the castle, is a first time recognized and registered as a remarkable site to protect in February 1944.

In the first decree, the valley that stretched to the foot of the castle to the east was not protected. In 1965, in order to preserve the view of the castle and the old town from the road, which overlooks the site, the extension of the site is carried out.

Protected by 2 orders in a row, the castle, which until then was only considered as a whole with the village and the valley, can be seen inscribed on the supplementary list of historical monuments on may 23, 1969, completing the protection of one of the remarkable sites of the Périgord noir.

Perfect example of a medieval village nestled behind the castle, in spite of the different existing protections, the site is unfortunately in danger.

Since 2006, the owners are trying to save the château de Salignac from ruin, but also compete each day for the preservation of this historical and cultural, a precious testimony of the medieval life of men at this time.

This heritage belongs to all the world, and we must preserve and pass on to future generations.

After more than 30 years of being closed to the public, the castle reopened its doors.