The castle of Assier was built between 1518 and 1535 in the style of the new country houses in the heart of the Lot department in a village on the border of the Causse region. The castle is a good example of Renaissance Art without the Loire valley. An extremely rich man, Galiot de Genouillac, had the castle built. He was a genius in war tactics, and famous for his developpment of a quick and accurate mobile field artillery that was used in the campaigns in Italy and especially in the successful Battle of Marignan. From the original large square plan building, only the entrance wing remains. This building has an impressive entrance porch with porticos and a loggia, as well as Flemish dormer windows. The wall overlooking the yard is decorated with two big friezes that show sculptured emblemas linked to Galiot de Genouillac's military responsibilities and scenes from Hercule's legend. The big ceremonial staircase on cross-ribbed vaults includes two straight flights and a half spiral of stairs. On the staircase landing of the 1st floor, a beautiful pilaster is decorated with a series of very good sculptured "grotesque" patterns. In 1768, the west wing was used for farming purposes by the Duke of Uzès, one of Galiot de Genouilac's descendants, who sold the main part of the castle to materials traders. However the wall overlooking the yard has kept its sculptured friezes, emblema patterns and doublestorey frame. They give us an idea of the Renaissance architecture in the Quercy region.
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