Mummy, Daddy, can we live in a castle in Périgord?!

A home from home!

Château de Lacypierre in Saint-Crépin-et-Carlucet took a break in winter before reopening with one-of-a-kind tours in spring. As you explore a beautiful and traditional Périgord building, you get caught up in its history and the story of the Lebon family who saved it… enjoy a VIP tour of an extra special home!

History in the making!

1968… Somewhere in the Paris area…

– “Why are we driving at night? Where are we going?” 4 year old Florence asked.

– “Haven’t you heard? We’re going to Périgord: Mum and Dad have bought a castle! replied Isabelle, her big sister.

– “We’re going to live in a castle… ?” she whispered to herself with wonder in her eyes.

This is the true story of what happened when two little girls set off on a magical adventure with their parents! An adventure of a lifetime… many lifetimes!

1972… in Périgord Noir and the little village of Saint-Crépin-et-Carlucet

“My god, I’ve bought a wreck,” sighed the head of the Lebon family. The architect looked around and cried “The hexagonal tower is bent, it leans 23cm!” Years of damp winters left their watermark on the building. “Water pours from the walls in winter,” the tenant farmer told the new owners.

The 15th/16th century manor stands on the hillside. It has withstood significant damage from time and water.

As you may have guessed, the Lebon family spent 50 years restoring the ruin into a home. The former owners were tenant farmers who turned it into a farm, so it was a major project turning it back into a family residence. The work of several lifetimes!

Today…

One last bend and there, down below, you can see a fairytale landscape. It’s a haven of peace. An unspoilt natural setting. A secret little leafy valley. You can see an unspoilt traditional village, a hamlet where a pretty little Périgord château stands proud with its golden stone and classic stone slates.

That’s how you first see Château de Lacypierre, with a sense that you’ve stepped into a time machine and travelled back to the age of little fiefdoms in Périgord. This is the former country pile of the last of the Lacypierre dynasty, Guillaume (1734 – 1826). The building has 2 towers, a large gable end chimney, a little annex which was once used as a pigpen and place to dry chestnuts…

The visitors head up the hexagonal tower’s staircase, whose steps have been worn down by farmers who brought grain to the granary as taxes for 300 years. The group listens closely as Isabelle explains what it was like here 40 years ago. People mutter “Unbelievable!” “What a lot of work…! ” It’s hard to believe it when you’re in a room like the lounge, gleaming with opulent furniture, original Louis XVI parquet flooring and beautiful exposed stone showcased by paintings.

Soak up a family home

“Mum’s office was at the top of the hexagonal tower in the old treasury room,” says Isabelle. Florence and Isabelle carefully and lovingly tend to this cramped and personal space.

This is exactly what the two sisters share with their visitors. Visiting Château Lacypierre means being part of everyday life for Florence, Isabelle, Mum and Dad… Family photos, countless collections of vintage pieces and furniture unearthed by Mum bring the rooms to life withpersonal history and family stories.

Every corner of every room is filled with childhood memories. Florence and Isabelle describe the site’s history from when the last of the Lacypierre dynasty was here 200 years ago. They share snippets of their own lives with sincerity and humility as they tenderly describe the memories, stories and emotions they experienced within these walls and the challenges they faced during the renovation. They lay it all out on the table so visitors feel part of several decades of their family life.

“Mum had two men in her life: Dad and Guillaume de Lacypierre, the last of the dynasty to live in the château,” laughs Isabelle. “She spent years collecting archives. She even found out he was decorated by the Order of Saint Louis. She managed to finish her book, “Lacypierre, la mémoire retrouvée“, just before she passed away,” she says with emotion.

The two young sisters slept in the attic under the stone slates which were temporarily insulated to keep out the draught from the traditional ancient roofing’s natural spaces.

As you can tell, you’re in for a fascinating visit with equally fascinating guides as you explore a place that simply oozes history. A moving and sincere experience where Isabelle and Florence get a round of applause at the end for sharing their love for their home. The ladies are just as appreciative as they get to pay tribute to their parents and the lifetime of work they put into making a house a home…

How to get there

Château de Lacypierre

Le Bourg 24590 Saint

Crépin et Carlucet

Dordogne Valley

France