Little journal of friends of Montautre - n° 22

Dear friends of the Montautre site,

The season is already well underway, and your favorite castle, still unknown three years ago (its first opening to the public was only in September 2022 for Heritage Days!), continues to grow in popularity. This is largely thanks to you, subscribers to the " Little Journal of Friends of Montautre," as many of you return to the website: I regularly see you promoting the castle to your friends and family. Thank you! For those who subscribed later, the first 18 issues of this "Little Journal" are also available in French and English on our website www.chateau-de-montautre.fr ( news section).

You can of course request to be unsubscribed if you wish to declutter your mailbox, and/or choose to follow us on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/chateaudemontautre/ ) and Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/serge.lacaze.33/?locale=fr_CA ).

0. News

New this summer, the " Petit Futé " tourist guide has chosen to include Montautre! And, as with the Michelin guide, the review is particularly well-researched... and particularly positive, see for yourself:

Our next guided tour will take place during Heritage Days, on Saturday, September 20th and Sunday, September 21st, 2025 at 3:00 PM . As usual, places are limited, so prior registration is required. Please feel free to register by replying to this email if needed, for yourself or your family.

1. Gallo-Roman period:

A magnificent discovery made in July: a mysterious carved stone, very eroded and manifest

A very old stone (see photo) was found at the foot of the outer wall of the guardhouse. Could this be another vestige of this Gallo-Roman site, not yet definitively identified, but described as "important" by the DRAC (Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs)? The stone will be analyzed in the fall... but your opinions are already welcome!

3. Medieval period

Two years ago, we reopened the door and small window—previously bricked up—of the outbuildings, near the gatehouse. These openings clearly date back to the castle's origins (15th century). This is evident in their dressed stone surrounds, characteristic of the late Middle Ages, with their 45° chamfered corners: it is in this medieval spirit that we completed their restoration with beautifully crafted woodwork (thanks to the Berger Perichon company of Razès!)...

On the outside, one key operates the locking bolt, while the other operates the opening bolt. On the inside, the opening bolt is operated by the latch located under the case.

3. Modern Era

The barn renovation, which began almost 6 months ago, is now complete: chestnut flooring, 8 independent spotlights (2 for each bay), roof restoration... and preservation of the feeding troughs! There were still about sixty cows here in the 1970s.

4. Conclusion

We were delighted to be chosen by "Le Populaire du Centre" to launch their series of seven reports for summer 2025 on the private lives of châteaux in the Limousin region on Wednesday, July 16th. While we share the front page with François Bayrou (and his proposed national budget!), we have been given the entirety of pages 2 and 3... while our Prime Minister is relegated to page 21!

Dear friends of Montautre , thank you more than ever for your continued support: after the DRAC and the Michelin Guide , it is now Petit Futé that joins your ranks: aren't you, dear friends of Montautre , the truly astute ones who recognized the site's potential before anyone else? In any case, congratulations and thank you again for your support!

You are of course always welcome here: give us a sign when you are passing nearby, or let Kitty and Adri know who continue to maintain this site that we love so much.

See you soon !

Kind regards

Serge