France's Dordogne Valley delights the eye not only with its magnificent scenery but also with its numerous unique ancient buildings, houses, and fortresses, one of the most impressive of which is rightfully considered to be Beynac Castle (some sources call it Bénac, while in French it's called Chateau de Beynac). This majestic stone structure is visible from afar and even at great distances. Like many other medieval castles, Beynac towers over the surrounding valley, acting as a sentinel for the surrounding area. We love visiting castles, so we couldn't miss Beynac. Architecturally, the castle is magnificent, but the interior decor could use some spice; Beynac is practically bare inside.
The cover photo shows the castle from the road. And here's what the castle and its valley look like up close. Keep in mind that from the parking lot at the entrance to the city, you'll have to climb up the hill it's built on. It's a steep climb. However, there's another parking lot located high up, practically next to the castle.
To get into the castle, you have to go through the guard gates
The castle is very picturesque. It was here that Luc Besson's "Joan of Arc" and Jean Reno's "Visitors from Beyond" were filmed.
Beynac was first mentioned in chronicles in 1115, and at that time belonged to the de Beynac family. The first name mentioned in historical records is that of the landowner Meynard de Beynac: even then, his family's holdings represented considerable territory.
The son of a landowner, Adhemar participated in the Second Crusade of 1146-1148. He died in 1194 without an heir. The castle passed into the possession of the Duke of Aquitaine, the legendary Richard the Lionheart. Upon his return from a year of Austrian captivity, the Duke realized that many of his holdings were under threat from local feudal lords and the French king himself. Richard the Lionheart gifted these lands, along with the Château de Beynac, to one of his closest friends, the landsknecht Mercadier.
But Mercadier was assassinated in 1200. Thus, Beynac Castle returned to its original owners. Presumably, it passed into the hands of Adhémar's nephews. By then, the fortress already towered menacingly over the Dordogne River and oversaw all the surrounding countryside.
In the early 13th century, Simon de Montfort, the leader of the Albigensian Crusade, accused the landowners of Beynac Castle of being heretics. In reality, this cunning move was made solely to seize strategically advantageous lands, as the Dordogne River was an excellent natural barrier that, in the event of military action, could have effectively protected the borders of this region over a long distance and at no extra expense. The castle's owner, Monsieur de Beynac, offered no resistance.
Simon de Montfort ordered the castle's walls and keepers torn down. But thanks to the intervention of the King of France, the castle remained in the Beynac family's possession. Furthermore, after this event, as chronicles attest, the Beynac family experienced the joys of wealth and a peaceful, prosperous life.
The then owner, Monsieur de Beynac, died during another crusade. The subsequent history of the castle in the 13th century tells of the division of the Beynac district between two brothers, Meynard and Gaillard. This division lasted for over a hundred years, with the lands reunited only in 1379.
The last heir of the castle from the Beynac family died in 1753. The castle passed into the hands of the Beaumonts, but they too abandoned it several generations later, at the end of the 19th century. The Marquis de Beaumont, before going bankrupt in the early 20th century, settled in the castle and began its reconstruction, but was unable to complete it due to bankruptcy. During World War II, Beynac Castle was added to the honorary list of Historic Monuments of France, and in the early 1960s, it was purchased by a private owner.
Source: travel.ru