Like any other ancient property, Figeac has known the ravages of wars and fires. Every part of the estate has a story to tell.

In Roman times, the estate covered several hundred hectares and belonged to a family called Figeacus, whose main villa stood on the site of the present château. Traces of the original pipework remain

The name of the estate and that of the town of Figeac (in the Lot) would appear to have the same origin. The town of Figeac was founded close to the river Lot.

There are still a number of small doors and windows from this period in the right wing of the château. They date from around 1000 AD and, by the way they open, indicate that the château of that time stood where the courtyard is now.

The remains of a dovecote are a reminder that the feudal château was created a seigneurie (a manor with a lord). The more important the estate, the more pigeons it would have.

The Renaissance

Figeac did not escape the trials and tribulations of the Wars of Religion. It therefore needed to be rebuilt at the end of the Renaissance, and there are still many admirable reminders of that period: the columns of the great courtyard, les ailes du château avec sa tour, des portes, des fenêtres à meneaux...

Without a doubt, the elegance and purity of style of this period are the most striking features at Figeac. The façade, which is designed with a golden section, and the columns in the courtyard, are connected by a wooden grille.

It was around this time that the right wing of the Renaissance building was extended, to align both two wings, and a great terrace was built overlooking the countryside to the south.

Thierry Manoncourt had an immense winery built in cut stone and excavated new cellars to a depth of over 6 metres. At the time, the press called him the "Pharaoh of Saint-Emilion". Besides using traditional wood and stone building materials, he innovated by introducing the colour blue into the cellars and installing glass doors. After Haut-Brion and Latour, Figeac was the third estate to use stainless steel vats in Bordeaux.

This installation, which blends beautifully with Figeac’s ancient buildings, is the work of architect Jacques Lhuillier who, with Henri Bernard, winner of the Rome Prize, designed the Maison de la Radio in Paris.