Assier

Built between 1518 and 1535 in the style of the new pleasure castles, the Château d’Assier is the pride of Jacques dit Galiot de Genouillac, a great figure of the French nobility during the Renaissance. A career military man, he played a decisive role in the Italian campaigns led by François I. Relying on the artillery, which was still new and little mastered, he contributed to the famous victory of Marignan in 1515. This success brought him the coveted title of Grand Écuyer de France.

The castle presents a return to the rules of ancient architecture while retaining a French-style castle plan: a quadrilateral of high dwellings flanked by round towers. Inside the castle, the volumes are intact, however the painted decorations are gone. The castle was adorned with superb reception rooms, whose ceilings have disappeared, which gives them a “cathedral effect”. On the 1st floor, one can admire a superb staircase, a carved pillar of great beauty, the treasure of the castle. A loggia balcony dominates the courtyard, a very poignant set that testifies to what was the life of the Renaissance lords.