Everything French Travel Magazine November 2013 | Page 64

Chateaux of the Dordogne
Other Notable Chateaux
Le Chateau de Commarque, Les Eyzies
The chateau was founded during the 12th
century on the request of the abbots of
Sarlat. Initially the Château de Commarque
was only a wooden tower, its primary function
was to discourage the ambitions of the
Beynac family and to insure the safety of the
valley.
During the Hundred Year War, the chateau
was captured by the English. During the War
of Religion, the chateau was taken by the
Catholics, due to the Beynacs being
Protestant partisans.
The
chateau
has
been
undergoing
restoration since 1994. It has been listed
since 1943 as a monument historique by the
French Ministry of Culture. There is a
prehistoric cave under the chateau.
Chateau Bourdeilles, Brantome
The Chateau de Bourdeilles was designed by
a woman, Jacquet Montbron. There are two
parts to this chateau, a fortress dating from
the 13th century, dominated by an octagonal
living area and a Renaissance castle with
richly furnished rooms such as the golden
lounge with a beautiful painted ceiling. There
is a prestigious collection of furniture
including the bed of Spanish Charles V.
Chateau Biron Dordogne
The Chateau Biron was privately owned by
the same family for 24 generations when it
was lost in the early 20th century to gambling
debts of the then baron. Biron is smaller than
many of the big defensive chateaux of the
area and you can get a really good sense of
what life was like in medieval times. This
lovely castle is currently being painstakingly
restored. Chateau Biron is close to the
Bastide town of Monpazier.
Chateau de Hautefort, Hautefort
40km east of Perigueux, Hautefort is one of
the most prestigious castles in the Dordogne
and is a historical monument. This elegant
castle contains paintings and tapestries from
the 17th century and is surrounded by formal
French gardens and parkland.

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Chateau de Fenelon, Sainte Mondane
It's a beautiful castle surrounded by a triple
wall and located above the village of Saint
Mondane. The castle has a collection of
armour, weapons and furniture dating back to
15, 16 17 and 18th centuries.
Chateau de Jumilhac, Thiviers
If you go as far as possible in the northeast
corner of the department of Dordogne, you
will find the magnificent Chateau de
Jumilhac. The remarkable feature of this
castle is the roof - an extravaganza of towers
and turrets that led to Jumilhac being
described as having the most romantic
rooftops in France.
Chateau de Montreal, Isaac
A nice little chateau and formal gardens.