Today I'll tell you about Castelnaud Castle (Chateau de Castelnaud), which sits above the left bank of the Dordogne River, opposite Beynac Castle. Castelnaud was an integral part of the eternal feud between England and France. Its first owners, vassals of the English kings, were in long-running conflict with Beynac Castle, which remained loyal to the French crown. And while the main players in those distant events have long since disappeared, these two fortresses continue their endless rivalry. In my opinion, Castelnaud is more tourist-friendly than Beynac. It has more to offer—armor, catapults, and other weapons, and they even give school tours. But Beynac still has a stronger hold on me. Which castle do you prefer?
The castle is visible from afar and leaves a strong impression. The best view of it opens from the switchback road leading up the mountain where it's located, but there's no opportunity to stop and take photos from there. So, the first photographable view of the castle opens from the parking lot at its base:
Once parked, you need to walk up the path to a small village with picturesque houses and souvenir shops.
But let's return to the castle's history. The lord of these lands in the 12th century was Bernard de Cazenac, known for his cruelty. In 1214, Simon de Montfort, leading the crusade against the Albigenses, stormed the castle and established a garrison there. Cazenac put up strenuous resistance and even managed to regain control of the castle, capturing Montfort's garrison, before being finally expelled by the Archbishop of Bordeaux, who burned the castle to the ground as punishment.
Following the Treaty of Paris signed in 1259, Périgord was returned to the English, sealing the fate of Castelnau. In 1273, the castle returned to its rightful feudal lords—the descendants of Castelnau. The late 13th century marked a period of prosperity, prosperity, and relative peace for the castle.
Castelnau presented itself as one of the most important powers in Périgord. At the time, the Barons de Beynac were in an endless feud with the lords of Castelnau. The greed and avarice of both rival families led to a never-ending squabble. Everyone within the barons' sights became involved in the struggle for dominance over the region. Ultimately, the entire Périgord nobility became embroiled in the conflict. The region was divided into two heavily armed camps.
Both castles kept watch on each other, ready to attack at any moment, hoping that the enemy would be distracted and lose their guard. But cowardice (or prudence?) prevailed. The clash on the border never took place.
In 1317, the Pope himself, concerned about the escalating conflict, intervened to avoid worse consequences; he consented to a marriage between the two families in an attempt to put an end to the chronic strife.
Petty squabbles soon faded into the background: the Hundred Years' War began in 1337. In the first decades of the Hundred Years' War, fate favored the English. At Crécy in 1356, the entire elite of the French nobility was exterminated by English archers. At Poitiers, King John the Good was captured. The Treaty of Brétigny-Calais freed the king, but he was forced to cede Aquitaine to the English, where the formidable Black Prince would henceforth rule.
In 1368, Mane de Castelnau, the family's sole heir, married Nompar de Caumont. The Caumont family would remain the owners of the castle until the Revolution. For his faithful service to the English crown, the King of England appointed Nompar de Caumont as his representative in Agenesis.
In 1442, tired of English domination over Castelnau, the King of France ordered a siege of the castle. After three weeks of siege, the English captain capitulated, handing over the keys to the castle in exchange for his life and a purse containing 400 écus. The English were finally expelled from Castelnau. They left French lands after the Battle of Castiglione, which marked the end of the Hundred Years' War.
After a dark era of wars, epidemics, and misfortunes, calm returned to the Castelnau estate. The castle entered a long period of prosperity and wealth. The restoration of the castle, organized by Brandeli de Caumont, was continued by his son and grandson. The ancient fortress began to conform to the fashions of the time.
During these years, Castelnau finally lost its military significance and became a simple country estate. Now the castle needed to be improved not to repel the enemy, but merely to maintain the prestige of the noble power.
The next milestone in Castelnau's history was a Huguenot commander named Geoffroy de Vivant, born in the castle as the grandson of François de Caumont. He was courageous and strong, and also became an important friend of Henry IV, the future ruler of France. De Caumont's grandson spread fear throughout the Périgord, allowing Castelnau to maintain its defenses and thus fear no one. However, no further significant events occurred in the history of this "handsome" castle of France.
"Geoffrey the Warlike" inspired fear throughout the Périgord region; this reputation allowed the castle of Castelnau to remain firmly fortified and never be disturbed during the entire period of the Wars of Religion.
Between the exploits of General Vivant and the 20th century, the castle saw no further significant events. The owners of Castelnau preferred the more intimate and secluded Château de Milande. The neglected castle's condition steadily deteriorated, and finally, Castelnau was abandoned. After the French Revolution, its deterioration accelerated, until the castle began to resemble a simple quarry.
It was only in 1966 that Castelnau Castle was declared a Monument Historique. Since then, two major restoration campaigns have been undertaken. Some collapsed walls were rebuilt, while others were merely reinforced because no records of their original condition could be found.
The castle offers a beautiful view of the valley, even in March))
Source: travel.ru