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            The Château de Beynac (in English: "Beynac Castle") in the village of Beynac-et-Cazenac, seen from top of the limestone plateau, where it is situated, Périgord, France

Some background information:

The Château de Beynac is a medieval hill castle in the village of Beynac-et-Cazenac. It is located in the department of Dordogne in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, about 10 km to the southwest of the district town of Sarlat-la-Canéda and about 200 km to the east of the city of Bordeaux. The Château de Beynac is situated on a limestone plateau dominating both the village and the north bank of the river Dordogne.

The castle was built in the 12th century by Maynard de Beynac, who held control of one of the four baronies of the historic Périgord region. In 1194, the English king Richard I (better known as "Richard the Lionheart"), who was also the Duke of Aquitaine, took possession of the stronghold. But after his death in 1199, the Château de Beynac came into the hands of local nobility.

The castle used to be well protected against enemy attacks, not only by its location on the plateau, but also by its strong fortifications. The defences included double crenelated walls, double moats and also a double barbican. However, in 1214, in the course of the Albigensian Crusade, the fortress was captured by Simon IV de Montfort, the Earl of Leicester and Duke of Narbonne. In 1259, the Treaty of Paris resolved the English titles in France. At that time the castle complex became English.

In 1337, at the beginning of the Hundred Years’ War, entered into French possession again. In 1360, the English king Edward III declared his waiver of the French throne, but demanded the duchy of Guyenne and the Château de Beynac as a quid pro quo. However, in 1368, he had to cede it to France once for all. Until 1798, the castle was inhabited (until 1753 by the family de Beynac), but fell into decay afterwards. 

Since 1944, the Château de Beynac has been listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture. In 1962, Lucien Grosso bought the estate and since then he has restored large parts of the castle. In 1999, the stronghold was a location of the film "Joan of Arc" by the French film director Luc Besson. Today, visitors to the castle can see sumptuous tapestries showing hunting and other scenes from the lives of the lords of the period. 

The village of Beynac-et-Cazenac is located on the rocky terraces at the north bank of the river Dordogne that lead upwards to the Château de Beynac. It has about 550 residents. The first mention of Beynac dates to 1115 when Maynard de Beynac made a gift to the nuns at Fontevrault Abbey. The further history of the village is closely related to the history of its castle.

The villagers mainly earned their living either by weaving or trade. For that purpose, Beynac had a harbour, which became an important anchoring place for merchant and cargo shipping on the river Dordogne. After the French Revolution, fishing, farming and building trade become more and more important.

The commune has become a member of the association "The most beautiful villages of France" (in French: "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France"), which promotes small and picturesque French villages of quality heritage. Currently 176 villages throughout France are pooled under the umbrella of the organisation. Today, many residents of Beynac-et-Cazenac make a living from tourism. A lot of tourists visit the spot and almost every touristic wish is met there.

Perigòrd is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current department of Dordogne. It is divided into four areas called the Périgord Noir (in English: "Black Périgord"), named so for the renowned truffles that can be found there, the Périgord Blanc (in English: "White Périgord"), for chalk cliffs and quarries, the Périgord Vert (in English: "Green Périgord"), for forests and forestry, and the Périgord Pourpre (in English: "Purple Périgord"), for wine and viticulture. Périgord is noted for its cuisine, especially its duck and goose products, such as "confit de canard" and "foie gras". Périgourdine wines include Bergerac (red and white) and Monbazillac (sweet white).

Taken in: France / Nouvelle-Aquitaine / Arrondissement de Sarlat-la-Canéda / Beynac-et-Cazenac (show map)

Taken on: September 10, 2023

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Sets appears in: • France 2023: Périgord, Brittany and Champagne • Castles, Palaces and Mansions more » • Buildings - France • Summer « less

Groups appears in: • Castles - Castillos • France more » • France image • Castles of Europe • Palaces, Castles, Towers, Pagodas, Fortresses And Ruins of Old • European Vacation • Castles from the world. • Burgen, Schlösser und Ruinen (castles) • European Castles • Stately Homes, Palaces and Castles • Regions of France / La France des Régions • * Images de France * (France-Corse-DOM-TOM-COM) • Castles,Palaces,Manor houses,Cottages - Post 1 Award 2 / Sweeper • ANTICANDO!!!(P2/Aw3)Please,only Subject ANCIENT • Villages et petites villes d'Europe • "History & Antiquities (Post 5 - Award 3)" • Historical and architectural gems • MIDDLE AGES IN EUROPE (Post1 Award2) • Baugeschichte "History of Architecture" • Strictly GeoTagged (no 30/60 limit) • The concept is Europe • buildings are beautiful • L'Europe pittoresque • ₪ HISTORY & MYSTERY Society ₪ Add 1 | Award 3 • Castles and Châteaux « less

Camera: Canon EOS 77D, f/10.0, 1/250 sec, 22mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 77D
Lens:	TAMRON 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD B028
Aperture:	f/10.0
Exposure Time:	0.004 sec (1/250)
Focal Length:	22mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Spot
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
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