Cadillac Castle is located in the commune of Cadillac, in the French department of Gironde (Nouvelle Aquitaine). The castle, moats, and gardens are listed as historical monuments by the 1862 list and by decree of July 12, 1956.
Cadillac Castle, like a hundred other monuments, is owned by the State, and is managed, maintained, and open to the public by the National Monuments Center.
History
The castle was built in the town at the request of Jean-Louis de Nogaret de La Valette (1554-1642), first Duke of Épernon. A symbol of the proud, haughty, and quarrelsome Gascon, this castle embodies the omnipotence of this Gascon cadet, who became one of King Henry III’s minions.
To build it, part of the fortified city was razed. It bears witness to the late Renaissance and already heralds 17th-century Classicism. Originally, the castle, flanked by two monumental wings and four corner pavilions, surrounded the main courtyard enclosed by a perimeter wall. The wings, pavilions, and this perimeter wall were dismantled in the mid-18th century and their stones sold.
Seized during the French Revolution, it served as a prison in the 19th century, which saw the construction of the two current wings and a concierge’s lodge; then as a school for the preservation of young women from 1880. It was badly damaged by fire in 1928 and became a public institution for supervised education, finally closing in 1952. The prison administration then returned the castle to the Secretariat of Fine Arts, and later to the Ministry of Culture.
Today, it is open to visitors and is undergoing major restoration and enhancement campaigns, allowing its rich original 17th-century interiors to be evoked. At the rear, a pleasure garden restored at the end of the 20th century is accessible from the city. Its surface area is limited by the city’s fortifications.
Hours of working
From May 26 to September 28
10:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Open daily
From September 29 to the May 25
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday to Sunday
Closing 1 hour earlier on December 24 and 31.
Annual closure: January 1, Easter Monday, May 1, and December 25.
Prices
- Adult: €7
- Combined ticket (Château de Cadillac + La Sauve-Majeure Abbey): €11
- Kids and juniors (-18 years old): €0
- The first Sunday of the months of January, February, March, November and December: €0
How to get to?
From Bordeaux: 48 min (42.6 km) via A62
From Andorra: 4 hr 25 min (398 km) via A62
From Barcelona: 5 hr 54 min (607 km) via A62
From Paris: 5 hr 59 min (618 km) via A10
Main information
- Period or Style: Late Renaissance, Early Classicism
- Architects: Pierre Biard, Pierre Souffron, and Gilles de La Touche
- Construction began: 1598
- Construction completed: 1634
- Original Owner: Duke of Épernon
- Original Purpose: State Château, then women’s prison
- Current Owner: French State
- Current Purpose: Museum
Coordinates: 44°38’16.9″N 0°19’13.1″W
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