1928 A magnificent Renaissance gate in carved stones disappears from the Château de Varaignes… It was sold, some say stolen, by the Americans!
We search for it, we forget it, we think it is lost forever. It is missing from the castle, which has become communal, the village, its inhabitants. It is mentioned in books, it is shown to tourists in postcard, it is even drawn at the beginning of trompe-l'oeil.
2014: a professional historian believes she has found her! But no, after verification it is not this one. False hope, however, sharpens the curiosity of other local historians. After several unsuccessful searches and thanks to an American search engine, Jean-Marc gets his hands on it! A trip to Boston confirms it, it is indeed the famous passenger door.
This is the beginning of a new great adventure, that of its restitution. Under the aegis of the Heritage Foundation, the municipality and the association CPIE du Périgord Limousin, manager of the site, the reconstitution project is launched.
Alain de la Ville, Heritage Architect, in charge of the operation, will present on site the progress of the project for work in 2023. We will recall the context of its construction at the time of the Pérusse des Cars, the symbolism associated with it, the remarkable style (cause of its disappearance) and the particular project of restitution identical to what it was at the time of its contruction, and not as it is today.
A visit of the castle in its entirety is also planned following the global study of the archaeology of the built by Claude Peynaud, historian-archaeologist.