Château d'Authon

Visit Inside: 16th-century tower, vintage horse-drawn carriages; outside: English parklands and French courtyard, rose garden The d'Authon lineage, which can be traced back to the 12th century, became one of the most influential families in Saintonge during the Middle Ages. While the Graveline tower dates back to 1588, the square pavilion was built in 1607 by Seguin d'Authon, King's Councillor in his Council of State and Privy, Seneschal of Saintonge, at a time when the d'Authon family was at the height of its power, its possessions extending as far as island of Oléron, where it held the barony of Château. The château is built on a terrace surrounded by a moat supplied with water by a diversion of the River Dandelot. It has been destroyed and restored many times, with Marcelin Normand d'Authon being responsible for the most significant alterations. The Graveline tower and the entrance door to the seigniorial dwelling were added to the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments in 1972. The surroundings of the château and the Guignebourg mill were then listed by the Ministry of the Environment in 1993. Visits by appointment only: inside: 16th-century tower, vintage car shed outside: English parkland, French courtyard, rose garden, kitchen garden