Château d'Authon

Visit Inside: 16th-century tower, vintage horse-drawn carriages; outside: English parklands and French courtyard, rose garden The Authon family, whose presence has been documented since the 12th century, established itself during the Middle Ages as one of the most influential families in Saintonge. While the Graveline tower dates back to 1588, the square pavilion was built in 1607 by Seguin d'Authon, advisor to the king in his councils of state and private affairs, seneschal of Saintonge, when the d'Authon family was at its peak, its possessions extending as far as the island of Oléron where it held the barony of the Château. The château was built on a terrace surrounded by moats fed by a diversion from the River Dandelot. It has been destroyed and restored many times, with Marcelin Normand d'Authon being responsible for the most significant changes. The Graveline tower and the entrance gate to the seigneurial residence were listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments in 1972. The castle's surroundings and the Guignebourg mill were then classified by the Ministry of the Environment in 1993. Visits: interior: 16th-century tower, vintage car shed exterior: English-style park, French-style inner courtyard, rose garden, vegetable garden