Château de Commarque
CastleHidden Treasure
Rising from a rocky spur in the Périgord Noir, Commarque is a medieval ghost castle of rare power, with prehistoric roots and architecture inspired by the fortresses of the Holy Land.
History
Standing on a limestone promontory overlooking the Beune valley, just a few kilometres from Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, Château de Commarque is one of the most striking medieval ruins in the Périgord Noir. Its gutted keep rises majestically into the sky, and the crenellated curtain walls still look ready to resist the assault of an invisible enemy. This extraordinary monument fascinates as much by its longevity - ten centuries of human history on a site occupied since prehistoric times - as by the strange beauty of its blond stones eaten away by lichen. What sets Commarque apart from all the other Périgord castles is first and foremost its location: the rock itself is a fortress. Two sides of the site are defended by natural cliffs, while a moat cut into the rock blocks the most vulnerable access points. The whole structure reveals a remarkable tactical intelligence, inherited in part from the Knights of St John of Jerusalem who built it in the first place. The influence of the castles of Syria and Antioch can be seen in some of the masonry details, making Commarque unique in France: a Crusader castle in the heart of the Périgord. A visit to Commarque is as much a physical experience as a historical one. You have to walk, climb, squeeze your way through low rooms whose vaults ooze humidity, look up at the machicolations hanging in the air, guess under the brambles the outlines of a chapel or a residential building. The mullioned windows that still pierce certain walls bear witness to a surprisingly refined domestic life behind these warrior ramparts. Around the castle, nature has reclaimed its rights after centuries of neglect. The forest envelops the ruins in a mantle of oak and hornbeam, creating a romantic setting where the echoes of the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion still seem to resonate. Photographers and lovers of medieval history will find this an unrivalled playground, just a stone's throw from the Proumeyssac chasm and the decorated caves of Les Eyzies.
Architecture
Château de Commarque is a remarkably clear illustration of the development of medieval military architecture over three centuries. The complex is organised into several concentric enclosures adapted to the topography of the rock: the fortress itself occupies the tip of the spur, forming a quadrilateral whose most vulnerable corner is given over to the keep. The keep, rectangular in plan, was begun in the 12th century and doubled in the 14th century, revealing the two layers of construction in cross-section. The similarities with the Crusader castles of Syria - the thickness of the walls, the layout of the towers, the treatment of the gateway - are a rare architectural feature in mainland France. The defensive features built up over the years are exceptionally rich, with machicolations crowning the towers and curtain walls, corbelled flanking watchtowers, archways carved into the rock and a deep ditch dug into the limestone to prevent access from the hillside. The chapel, built above the main gate, is a typical feature of hospital commanderies. The dwelling building, set against the keep, still has fine mullioned windows that bear witness to the quest for residential comfort within the fortress. The materials used - blond Périgord limestone quarried on site or in the immediate vicinity - give the building the warm hue characteristic of Sarlat architecture.
Related Figures
Gérard de Comarque — chevalier périgourdin qui rejoignit l'ordre de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem et transmit le château aux Hospitaliers au début du XIIe siècleLes commandeurs de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem — maîtres d'ouvrage de la forteresse primitive durant près d'un siècle, dont ils façonnèrent l'architecture inspirée de Terre SainteLa maison de Beynac — l'une des quatre grandes baronnies du Périgord, propriétaire du château à partir du XIIIe siècle, qui en fit un bastion face aux possessions anglaisesLe sénéchal du Périgord — figure royale qui força le château en 1569 lors des guerres de ReligionLouis XIII — sous son règne fut envisagée la destruction totale de la forteresse, finalement épargnée
