Chateau de Beynac: A French Castle Preserved for the Ages

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 it was built, the Chateau 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 structures were built in the 17th century; thus, for many Americans, wrapping their minds around a French castle built in the 12th century is awe-inspiring.

Indeed, the Chateau 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, is due to stone battlements, tall towers, and a deep, double moat. A closer look at Beynac’s interior reveals sumptuous hues primarily from tapestries, but also painted ornamentations and lush fabrics.

Although the list of barons occupying and visiting Chateau de Beynac 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 classic imagery, especially in the arches and decorative columns, which contrasts 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 chateau’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 chateau, 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 chateau is the salon. Detailed tapestries depicting medieval culture 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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