The Château de Ventadour, at the heart of the history of the Viscounts of Corrèze

Visit the Château de Ventadour in Corrèze! Located 6 km from Égletons, in the heart of unspoiled nature, here you are at the top of the Soudeillette Valley, on a rocky outcrop where the remains of the Château d'Elbes culminate, the second son of the Viscount of Camborn, which established here the seat of his power. It is a set classified as a Historic Monument since 1840, but which has suffered the horrors of the wars of power and time. It was even sold as a stone quarry... Today safeguarded, the municipality of Moustier-Ventadour owns it and is undertaking the renovation of this stone vessel, which undoubtedly marks the history of the region. Immerse yourself in the heart of the Vicomté de Ventadour and let the soft music of the troubadours resound in your ears, and more particularly Bernard de Ventadour, who frequented the castle under the protective wing of Elbes, the master of the place.

Photos of the article @ Guide de la Corrèze

A castle with a majestic past

The remains let us guess the superb of this once ostentatious and welcoming castle. It was in the 11th century that the first stone of the Château de Ventadour was laid in this isolated place. Revamped in the 13th, it is both warlike and comfortable. The turmoil of the Hundred Years War passed through Ventadour and the castle was the seat in the 14th century of the Breton mercenary Geoffroy Tête Noire, in the pay of the English. In the 15th century, the Viscounts once again took over the castle, which had once again become French property, and continued to improve its comfort. In the 18th century, the site was again abandoned and it was even sold to a demolisher who transformed it in the early 19th ^century into a stone quarry... Before being classified in extremis in 1840, excavated and restored in the 60. It will finally be entrusted to the Municipality which has since partially restored it and made it a place for tourist visits where events are organized in the summer. It is finally the rest of this stone giant, which will be able to reveal its secrets to curious visitors...

The visit will remind you of the presence of Bernard de Ventadour, one of the many troubadours to have frequented the castle. The troubadours are poets, musicians, storytellers... They evolve in Occitania and come from all social classes, they are not poor travelers as we sometimes have the image of in an erroneous collective imagination. All subjects pass through their hands, are told from place to place, it is the TV or rather the radio of the time. From the 11th to the 13th they report news and Bernard de Ventadour, who frequented the castle, is one of the best known.

Visit the castle of Ventadour

The visit is free and takes place from April to November. In July and August, guided tours take place and we can only recommend that you take part in them to immerse yourself, thanks to a guide, in the history of this unique place. It takes place once a day, phone to find out more (usually at 3 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and Friday at 11 a.m.). Free parking is available with a small picnic area.

The free visit will be documented by a brochure which will give you all the elements necessary to understand the ruins present. The entrance door is equipped with a defensive system, to slow down, discourage or outright attack the enemy who dares to present himself: stunner, portcullis and "mousetrap", a closed room to celebrate the assailant...

The courtyard of the Castle is the central point of the visit, we can see all around us the remains of the Chapel of Saint-Georges, the big tower which dates from the remodeling of the 13th century, the seigneurial dwelling which was added to it in the 15th. Crossing the square tower, you go to the terrace, which is on the rocky outcrop and at the end, a superb forest landscape awaits you.

After visiting the Château, we recommend that you take a walk in the Gorges de la Dordogne, near Neuvic. The road winds and several superb viewpoints await you, to continue your wonder in the region. Like the Puy de Manzagol for example… Or the Belvédère de Gratte-Bruyère or the superb Belvédère des Gregeolles! Go one last for the road… The Site of Saint-Nazaire, unmissable!

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