Beynac Castle
| Beynac Castle | ||
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 Beynac Castle above the village |
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| Creation time : | Late 12th century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | Received or received substantial parts | |
| Standing position : | Noble | |
| Place: | Beynac-et-Cazenac | |
| Geographical location | 44 ° 50 '26 " N , 1 ° 8' 48" E | |
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The Beynac Castle is a medieval hilltop castle in the southern French community Beynac-et-Cazenac in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine . Today it is one of the best preserved castles in France . Erected in the 12th century as a mere keep on a limestone plateau raised 150 meters above the Dordogne and difficult to access , the complex served as a strategically optimal observation and defense post.
history
After its construction by Maynard de Beynac , Richard the Lionheart briefly seized the castle in 1194 in his capacity as Duke of Aquitaine and entrusted it to the royal governor Marchadier. After Richard's death in 1199, the fortifications returned to the property of the local nobility.
In the Albigensian Crusade directed against the Cathars , it was captured and razed by Simon IV. De Montfort in 1214 . The castle complex became English through the Treaty of Paris in 1259, which regulated the ownership claims of the English crown in France.
With the occupation of the last English mainland possession, the Duchy of Guyenne by King Philip VI. In 1337 and at the beginning of the Hundred Years War , the fortress of Beynac changed again to a French fief. In the years that followed, Beynac Castle, together with the surrounding castles of Marqueyssac , Fayrac and especially Castelnaud, was the scene of permanent clashes as an expression of the Franco-English rivalry in the Périgord . 23 years later, the English King Edward III. In the Peace of Brétigny in 1360 he renounced the French throne, but demanded, among other things, the Guyenne and Beynac Castle as English continental possession, but had to cede them to France in 1368.
Building
Due to its location on the steep slope above the river, the castle is only protected on the north side by a double wall. Here is also the access to the facility, which was originally built in the 13th century and later rebuilt and expanded. A mighty main donjon from the 13th century and a smaller secondary donjon from the 14th century together with the residential building from the 15th century form a distinctive complex of towers.
The showpiece inside is the medieval Grande Salle des Etats with its impressive pointed arched vault and a Renaissance fireplace decorated with stone reliefs . The fireplace , together with the pointed arched windows that extended downwards, was part of a redesign of the room carried out in the 17th century. On the walls of the adjoining oratory , Gothic frescoes from the 14th century with naively painted biblical scenes were exposed: a communion scene with St. Martial of Limoges as cupbearer , a crucifixion scene and depictions of several members of the von Beynac family.
The grand staircase from the 17th century leads to a hall furnished with furniture from the Louis Treize period. A narrow staircase leads to the battlement and the southern bastion . From there, the visitor can enjoy an impressive view of the Dordogne valley. The Romanesque castle chapel stands on the edge of the rock .
The castle was uninhabited from 1798 until it was acquired by the current owner in 1961. A long-term restoration program, some of which has already been carried out, aims to restore the building to its original state. In 1999 the castle served as the backdrop for the film adaptation of the story of Joan of Arc by the French film director Luc Besson .
literature
- Susanne Böttcher (Ed.): Périgord, Dordogne, Limousin (= Michelin. The Green Guide ). Travel House Media, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-8342-8995-7 , p. 90.
- Jean-Luc Aubarbier, Michel Binet: Beloved Perigord. Ouest-France, Rennes 1990, ISBN 2-7373-0299-4 , p. 36.
