Fénelon Castle

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The Fenelon Castle in the Dordogne in the cultural landscape of the Périgord is one of the best preserved castles in France . The building complex has been recognized as a Monument historique since 1927 (in parts only since 1962) .

Fénelon Castle

location

The Château de Fénelon is only about 200 meters north of the village of Sainte-Mondane on a hill from which it dominates the Dordogne valley . It is only about 16 kilometers (driving distance) from the historically and culturally significant small towns of Sarlat-la-Canéda , Souillac and Gourdon .

history

The castle was owned by the Fénelon family from the 14th century until 1780; it was rebuilt in the 17th century. Especially during and after the French Revolution, it passed through several hands, but is still privately owned today. Various living rooms and François Fénelon's bedroom are open to visitors , as is the chapel and the kitchen, which is partially carved out of the rock. There is also a collection of weapons from the 15th to 18th centuries as well as tapestries depicting Fénelon's work.

architecture

The fortification, which has been completely preserved to this day, gives the structure a particularly defensive character. To the castle in the middle, the path leads between two wall rings halfway around the complex. The small courtyard is surrounded by three wings and is bordered on the open side by a gallery with a "roof terrace". A double flight of stairs leads to the entrance. The living quarters and towers are covered with traditional stone shingles ( lauzes ); a tower dates back to the 14th century. The two residential wings ( corps de logis ) with their cross-frame windows and portholes belong to the late 15th and 16th centuries.

Near the castle ( 44 ° 50 ′ 37.3 ″  N , 1 ° 21 ′ 6.1 ″  E ) parts of the former farm buildings ( Ferme de la Condamine ) - including a pigeon house ( pigeonnier ) - have been preserved.

  • Fénelon Castle

  • Fénelon Castle, side view

  • Fénelon Castle, south-west facade

  • double staircase to the main courtyard

  • Inner courtyard, north side

  • Ferme de la Condamine

Personalities

The most famous member of the Fénelon family, François Fénelon , born on August 6, 1651, spent his childhood here. He was the later tutor of Louis XIV's grandson and author of the work The Adventures of Telemach . In 1695 he was named Archbishop of Cambrai .

Trivia

Fénelon Castle was one of the filming locations for the US film Forever and Forever from 1998 (the tennis match took place in the main courtyard).

literature

  • Susanne Böttcher (Ed.): Périgord, Dordogne, Limousin (= Michelin. The Green Guide ). Travel House Media, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-8342-8995-7 , p. 246.
  • Thorsten Droste : Périgord and the Atlantic coast. Art and nature in the Dordogne valley and on the Côte d'Argent from Bordeaux to Biarritz. 10th edition. DuMont, Cologne 1991, ISBN 3-7701-1197-4 , p. 111.

Web links

Commons : Fénelon Castle  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Château de Fénelon, Sainte-Mondane in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)

Coordinates: 44 ° 50 ′ 32.2 "  N , 1 ° 21 ′ 1.2"  E