Castel d'Andorte, Historical castle in Le Bouscat, France

Castel d'Andorte is a castle in Le Bouscat set within 11 hectares of wooded grounds that includes a main residence, a chapel, and exhibition spaces. The property is laid out in sections that serve different functions and activities.

The estate belonged to the lords of Illac from the 10th century and was raised to a seigneurie in 1180 for Arnaud d'Illac by Henry II, king of England and duke of Aquitaine. The present building was commissioned in 1785 by abbé Jean de Laborde, dean of the Saint-Seurin chapter, from architect François Lhote working on plans by Victor Louis, then designing the Grand-Théâtre of Bordeaux. Confiscated as national property in 1795, it was bought in 1843 by Dr Joseph-Guillaume Desmaisons, who opened a private psychiatric clinic there in 1845, the first in the Gironde. The commune purchased the estate in 1989.

The name Andorte derives from "En Dorte", the isolated spot the estate was called in the Middle Ages; the seigneurie was raised in 1180 for Arnaud d'Illac by Henry II of England. The building is being renovated after years of abandonment to house a cultural centre, so the grounds of the Chêneraie park are what visitors use today.

The building stands at 79 rue Raymond Lavigne, inside the parc de la Chêneraie in Le Bouscat. The grounds are a public park created in 1990, so they can be crossed on foot. The edifice itself is under renovation after years of abandonment and is to become a cultural centre, so access to the interior depends on the works.

The name comes from Hoc-Lou, "high place", used in the 10th century when the land belonged to the lords of Illac; later, because of its isolation, it became En Dorte. In 1180 Henry II, king of England and duke of Aquitaine, raised Castel Endorte to a seigneurie for Arnaud d'Illac, who that same year ceded the neighbouring Bouscat forest to the Saint-Seurin chapter.