From the Gallo-Romans to the Merovingians
Located at the geological crossroads of the region, on the final slopes of the Massif Central in the Isle valley, Nanthiat has been inhabited since at least the Gallo-Roman period. At that time, the site was a farming estate owned by a certain Nantios, whose name—evoking a "stream at the bottom of a valley"—reflects the geography of the place. Its etymology, both Celtic and Latin, preserves the memory of this topographical patronym: Nanto-iacum.
During the Merovingian era, the land belonged to a well-identified owner: Aredius, who listed it in a will drawn up in 572. Having left his post as chancellor to the king of the Franks at the court of Austrasia, he embraced religious life. A key figure in the evangelisation of Limousin and northern Périgord, and a founder of monasteries and oratories, he is better known under the French name Saint Yrieix, derived from the Occitan Iriès.
Saint Yrieix, reliquary bust, ca. 1220,
The Met Museum, Public Domain.
The Two Hundred Years’ War
The first known seigneurial family, the House of Nantiac, likely dates back to the 11th century.
The first mention of a fortified site appears in 1165, at the marriage of Imberge de Nantiac to Pierre I Jaubert (or Joubert), said to be closely related to Joubert of Syria, the seventh Grand Master of the Order of Malta and Regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Attached to the châtellenie of Excideuil and prized for its strategic location, Nanthiat soon became embroiled in the conflict between the Capetians and the Plantagenets, and later in the devastating campaigns of the Hundred Years’ War. Richard the Lionheart, his brother John Lackland, and Bertrand du Guesclin are all believed to have passed through. Besieged, bombarded, and occupied in turn by the French and the English, the château lay in ruins by the end of the Middle Ages. Only the square keep, the base of a tower, and fragments of the curtain wall survived from its feudal past.
In recognition of their loyalty and service to the French crown during the English wars, the Jaubert family was granted new arms adorned with fleur-de-lis.
Coat of arms of the Jaubert de Nanthiat family,
carved on a church vault keystone.
The Renaissance
Beginning in 1426, a major reconstruction campaign was launched. From this period remain the medieval kitchen, the walls of the seigneurial residence, and several Gothic windows on the north façade.
In the 1580s, the château embraced the French Renaissance style: machicolations, moulded stone windows, pilasters, and a corbelled staircase turret were added to the keep. A monumental gateway, complete with drawbridge grooves, was built to guard the entrance to the estate.
Supporters of the Catholic cause, the Jauberts stood with the Valois during the Wars of Religion, a time of turmoil during which Lord Jean III was assassinated. A sculpted high-relief bust of Catherine de’ Medici, attributed to a pupil of Nicolas Rambourg, still gazes from the Queen’s chamber.
Catherine de’ Medici, sculpted high-relief bust,
attributed to a pupil of Nicolas Rambourg, ca. 1583.
The Grand Siècle
In 1615, the land of Nanthiat was elevated to a viscountcy by Louis XIII, in honour of the Jaubert family’s long-standing fidelity to the Crown—loyalty renewed during both court intrigues and the Fronde against Louis XIV. Two members of the family, serving as musketeers, died in the King's service.
During the Regency, a romantic chapter unfolded: Pierre V Jaubert married Célinie Leblond, daughter of the ill-fated union between the Chevalier d’Aydie and the famed Belle Aïssé, a Circassian-born former slave who became a muse of Parisian literary salons. Their story captivated writers: Voltaire and Abbé Prévost drew inspiration from it; Dumas made Aïssé a key figure in The Count of Monte Cristo; Flaubert later staged her life in a play featuring Sarah Bernhardt in the title role.
Under Pierre V's direction, the château was modernised from 1740 onward: new windows were opened on the south façade, rooms were arranged en enfilade, and Louis XV interiors were introduced. The château took on the understated elegance of the classical style.
Mlle Aïssé, attributed to Nicolas de Largillière, ca.
1720, Château de Jegenstorf, Public Domain.
Chevalier d’Aydie, French School, ca. 1785,
Museum of Art and Archaeology of Périgord, © BY-SA 4.0.
Viscountess Célinie de Nanthiat, French School,
Château de Bonneval, © owner.
From Revolution to Empire
During the Revolution, the château was spared damage thanks to the restraint of the official in charge of requisitions.
The line of the Viscounts of Nanthiat came to an end within the House of the Counts of Bonneval.
In 1812, Napoleon granted General Baron Daumesnil the funds to acquire the château, as a token of gratitude to the man who had once saved his life. Known as “le mutilé de Wagram”, Daumesnil was a native of Périgueux. Summoned to heroically defend Vincennes against the Allied forces, he soon sold the estate.
The property later passed to the Labrousse du Boffrand family, who served for several generations as mayors. It was eventually inherited by Maurice Devars du Mayne, remembered as a great restorer of the château, and finally passed to his daughter and son-in-law.
Keep of Nanthiat, drawing by Jules de Verneilh-Puyraseau,
1873, © SHAP.
Post-War Recognition as a monument historique
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the château welcomed Alsatian refugees. In July 1944, German troops passing en route to Normandy brought violence to the village, leaving behind a tragic toll among the local resistance.
In 1946, the château was partially listed as a monument historique (national heritage site).
Postcard, late 19th century.
Postcard, early 20th century.
Postcard, interwar period.
In 1995, a fire destroyed the pyramid-shaped roof of the keep, along with its windows and floors.
Contemporary Restoration
Scarred by time and half a century of neglect, the Château de Nanthiat is now rediscovering its splendour and its story. Year after year, it undergoes restoration with deep respect for its identity-driven by the desire to preserve and share a place imbued with memory and elegance.