Château de Beynac

English translation

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History

The place must have been occupied by a stronghold from the Early Middle Ages. At the end of the 11th century, the existence of the lords of Beynac is attested. At the beginning of the 12th century, Simon de Montfort, leader of the crusade against the Albigensians, had the walls and tower of the castle destroyed. In 1238, the lordship of Beynac became a fief of the count of Toulouse. By the treaty of Brétigny, Beynac passed under English domination. In 1368, Beynac sided with Charles V and entered into struggle against the English. The castle has retained externally all its medieval layout. It stands on the edge of the rock overhanging the Dordogne, in a vast irregular quadrilateral. At the north-west angle is found the square keep, crowned with crenellations and flanked by a small tower containing the staircase. It is connected by a curtain wall with machicolations to a tower and the southern bastion which flanked the west and south faces. This bastion is crowned by crenellations and two cylindrical turrets on its angles. On the south and east faces of the castle develop the dwelling blocks, reworked in the 16th century. A corbelled turret was added in the 16th century. The north face of the castle is closed by a crenellated curtain wall, reinforced at a salient angle by a corbelled turret. Inside the castle, a small courtyard placed in the centre lights two staircases, one of which serves the keep and the defence rooms; the other, built in the 17th century, leads to the apartments. Two rooms decorated in the 17th century present a decoration of interlace and rinceau on the beams and woodwork, as well as paintings. At the edges of the castle are found the postern, the defence turrets, the outbuildings connecting with the terraces and the church. Beneath the castle is found a building which some attribute the role of abbey or priory. Others see in it the old "présidial", which stood midway between the village and the castle, which would seem more plausible given that this building contains only two rooms. It is a rectangular building of two storeys over a ground floor. The entrance is on the west face by a door with straight lintel which gives onto a room where stood the staircase leading to the upper floors. The two levels appear to have contained only one large room each. If the ground floor and first floor have their interior walls in more or less regular small ashlar, the second floor presents regular and well-laid ashlar, which would tend to make it a room of state.