Assier

Built between 1518 and 1535 in the style of the new châteaux de plaisance, Château d’Assier was the pride and joy of Jacques dit Galiot de Genouillac, a leading figure of the French nobility during the Renaissance. A career military officer, he played a decisive role in François I’s Italian campaigns. Relying onartillery that was still new and little mastered, he contributed to the famous victory at Marignan in 1515. This success earned him the coveted title of Grand Écuyer de France. The château represents a return to the rules ofancient architecture, while retaining the layout of a French château: a quadrilateral of high dwellings flanked by round towers. Inside the château, the volumes are intact, but the painted decorations have disappeared. The château was adorned with superb reception rooms, whose ceilings have disappeared, giving them a “cathedral effect”. On the 1st floor, you can admire a superb staircase and a beautifully sculpted pillar, the château’s treasure. A loggia balcony overlooks the courtyard, a poignant testimony to the life of Renaissance lords.