The alleys of the village of Beynac
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2025 6:00 am
In the heart of the Dordogne Valley, the Château de Beynac benefited in the Middle Ages from a strategic location that allowed it to control the roads and waterways, which considerably strengthened the power of its lord in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Château de Beynac was built in the 12th century by the barons of Beynac in order to "lock the valley". At the time of the Hundred Years' War, the fortress of Beynac was one of the French strongholds. The Dordogne (the river) served as a border between stockholder data France and England. In this sector of the Dordogne Valley, the territorial situation is unique: on the other bank of the Dordogne, opposite the Château de Beynac, is the Château de Castelnaud, in the hands of the English. The latter then had the Château de Fayrac built to observe Beynac and check whether the French were preparing for a potential attack. So, Beynac did the same by building the castle of Marqueyssac, opposite the castle of Castelnaud, to spy on the castle, then in the hands of the English.
To reach the castle, you will have to slip through the small streets of the village of Beynac, surrounded by the stone houses typical of the region.
During your visit, you will quickly realize that the castle has an architecture made for war in the Middle Ages. The keep, the machicolations, the battlements and merlons litter the route.
The massive architecture of Beynac Castle
Within the walls of the fortress there is also a massive chapel, the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption.
A major site of the Hundred Years' War and conflicts between the kings of England and the kings of France, the castle has a furnished interior from the period and takes us back, for example, to the atmosphere that reigned at the time of Richard the Lionheart, who besieged the castle in 1197. The guided tour of the castle will allow you to better understand all the highlights that took place in this castle, and appreciate all the historical richness of the place.
To reach the castle, you will have to slip through the small streets of the village of Beynac, surrounded by the stone houses typical of the region.
During your visit, you will quickly realize that the castle has an architecture made for war in the Middle Ages. The keep, the machicolations, the battlements and merlons litter the route.
The massive architecture of Beynac Castle
Within the walls of the fortress there is also a massive chapel, the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption.
A major site of the Hundred Years' War and conflicts between the kings of England and the kings of France, the castle has a furnished interior from the period and takes us back, for example, to the atmosphere that reigned at the time of Richard the Lionheart, who besieged the castle in 1197. The guided tour of the castle will allow you to better understand all the highlights that took place in this castle, and appreciate all the historical richness of the place.