Château de Beynac: A French Castle Preserved for the Ages

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we visit a French Romanesque castle from the 12th century.

On a limestone cliff nearly 500 feet high, France’s 12th-century castle offers visitors a 360-degree view of the southwestern village Beynac-et-Cazenac. Named after the commune where it was built, the Château de Beynac features defensive stone walls, towers, and a rooftop battlement with merlons (raised stone areas) and crenellations (gaps in between merlons). clemMtravel/Shutterstock

In the United States, the oldest Western structures were built in the 17th century; thus, for many Americans, a French castle built in the 12th century is awe-inspiring.

Indeed, the Château de Beynac is so historic that it was a stronghold during the Hundred Years’ War, which spanned from 1337 to 1453. Thus, some of the features of the Romanesque architectural masterpiece are indicative of medieval characteristics: a guard room; a “keep,” which was a refuge area in case of an attack; and a barbican, or fortified entrance.

The castle looms large on a tiered, limestone cliff overlooking the Dordogne River and Beynac-et-Cazenac, a village in southwestern France. Its imposing presence, when viewed from afar, can be attributed to its stone battlements, tall towers, and deep double moat. The château’s interior features sumptuous hues, primarily from its tapestries and painted ornamentation.

Although the list of barons who occupied and visited the château is long, most noteworthy is Richard the Lionheart, who in 1189 occupied the fortress for 10 years.

The Périgord State Room is where the region’s barons met to discuss governmental issues. The room’s floors are made of beams and mortar, while the brick and block Gothic-arch vaulted space features intricate tapestries on its walls. A carved, double-columned fireplace mantle is situated in the middle of the long room. Aurelien KEMPF-piksl.fr/Shutterstock

The limestone stairwell was constructed in the 17th century and conveys Renaissance-inspired (classical Roman and Greek) design elements, primarily in the ornamental balusters. The stairwell’s picturesque tapestry also depicts classical imagery, particularly in its arches and decorative columns, contrasting with the unadorned and exposed ceiling beams. Thesupermat/CC BY-SA 3.0

Light pours into this bedroom chamber from a Gothic, double-door window set into an arched niche that offers seating. Vaulting is evident in the pictured corner of this stone-block space. A turned-post canopy bed sits atop a weathered wood floor. boivin Nicolas/Shutterstock

Added around the 13th century, the château’s kitchen is practically apportioned for fire safety, with thick stone walls, stone or pisé floors (rammed earth), and hooks hanging from the ceiling to hold stored food out of reach of rats. There is a massive arched fireplace for cooking and heat. The deep vaulted arched areas provided plenty of storage for casks and barrels. As in many areas of the château, the ceiling is constructed of exposed beams. Aurelien KEMPF-piksl.fr/Shutterstock

Unlike a main entryway door, the barbican is a fortified transitional entrance designed to be protected from most angles and includes a drawbridge. Its doorway features a Gothic pointed arch design, both in the wooden door and the stone-block casing. Pack-Shot/Shutterstock

One of the most decorated chambers in the château is the salon. Detailed tapestries depicting medieval scenes hang on the walls, and painted and stenciled embellishments cover the door, lintel beams, and ceiling borders. As is customary in castles, full suits of armor flank the doors. Luc Viatour/CC BY-SA 3.0

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