Marzac: a castle up for auction!
For six centuries the fiefdom of one of the oldest families in Périgord, Marzac was destined to be transformed into a luxury golf club, but ended up being auctioned off at the Bergerac court without finding a buyer. Marzac is nevertheless an emblematic castle of the Vézère valley.
Clinging to majestic cliffs straight out of the origin of the world, floating above the clouds on foggy days, with its terrace, keep and round towers topped with hennins, Marzac is the archetypal “fairytale castle”,
For nearly 6 centuries, it remained wisely in the bosom of a single powerful family, handed down through the interplay of alliances: from the Rouffignacs to the Carbonnier de Marzacs, via the Fleurieu family.
Following the economic and social upheavals of the two wars of the 20th century, Pierre de Fleurieu is the last link in a chain that has been unbroken since the 14th century. After fighting like a lion to develop the land of his ancestors and adapt it to the economic and social upheavals of the 20th century, he resigned himself to throwing in the towel in 1962.
Pierre de Fleurieu, third from Saint-Cyr, became second lieutenant in the 28th Dragons in 1915. During the Second World War, he once again demonstrated his courage by founding a resistance maquis in the Dordogne under the pseudonym “Capitaine Vézère”. He ended his military career by receiving the insignia of Commander of the Legion of Honor. He died in Paris on October 6, 1977 and is buried in Tursac, Périgord.
In 1987, Marzac was bought by a Danish family. The family was represented by a British company which, in order to increase the value of the estate, had taken out a large loan with a Luxembourg bank.
Following financial difficulties, the bank put the estate up for auction. As no one came forward, the Luxembourg bank became the owner of the estate.
And so, in June 2019, Catherine and Jacques Guyot become the new owners of Château de Marzac, located in Tursac, in the Périgord Noir region, just a stone's throw from Lascaux and Sarlat.
The Dining Room restored after 6 months of work.
The cloister of Marzac.
Marzac: Foujita's memorial
In 1913, the young Foujita arrived in France. He traveled by boat with Count Alphonse de Fleurieu.
This aristocrat from Périgord, explorer and geographer, was also a patron of the arts. He invited Foujita to Marzac and introduced him to his family.
When the First World War broke out, Foujita found himself cut off from his family and Japan. Destitute, the young painter accepted the hospitality of the Fleurieu family. Accompanied by his friend Kawashima*, another Japanese artist, Foujita stayed at Château de Marzac from May 1915 to June 1916.
* future muse of the worldwide cosmetics brand SHISHEIDO
With the recent discovery of evidence of Foujita's long stay in the midst of the 1914 war, it remains to be seen whether the Fleurieu family played a benevolent role in the destiny of this world-renowned Franco-Japanese painter.
During his stay in the Pays de l'Homme, Foujita discovered the “coup” of cave art at Les Eyzies. This was particularly true when he visited the Combarelles caves in the company of the pope of prehistory, Abbé Breuil.
Foujita left numerous watercolors (never exhibited) of Marzac's interiors and exteriors, including its cloister. We also discover his sense of humor through caricatures of members of the Fleurieu family, as well as intimate drawings of daily life in the enchanted kingdom of Marzac, such as swimming in the Vézère or discovering the Fort de Reignac.
After the war, Foujita became the undisputed master of the Ecole de Paris, a friend of the greats - Picasso, Braque, Soutine and, of course, Modigliani. Throughout his life, his work shows his sensitivity to nature and his interest in flowers, particularly the rose.
