Château de Marqueyssac

The château was built at the end of the 17th century by Bertrand Vernet de Marqueyssac, Counsellor to King Louis XIV, on cliffs overlooking the Dordogne Valley.

The original jardin à la française was attributed to a pupil of André Le Nôtre, and featured terraces, alleys, and a kitchen garden surrounding the château.

Between 1830 and 1840, Julien Bessières constructed a chapel and a grand alley one hundred metres long for horseback rides.

[1] Following the romantic style, he built rustic structures, redesigned the parterres, and laid out five kilometres of walks.

Beginning in 1996, a new owner, Kléber Rossillon, restored the gardens to their old character and added some new features including an alley of santolina and rosemary and, in the romantic spirit of the 19th century, a course of water descending from the belvedere and ending in a cascade.