Château de Montastruc
CastleHidden Treasure
Château de Montastruc, located in Lamonzie-Montastruc (Dordogne), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Castle
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Lamonzie-Montastruc, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8989, 0.5927
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082601
Perched on a rocky outcrop surrounded by a moat, Montastruc combines medieval defences with classic 18th-century elegance, and bears the imprint of five centuries of conflict between the kings of France and England.
History
In the heart of the Périgord, at Lamonzie-Montastruc, Montastruc castle rises from its rocky base with the authority of a building that has survived wars, sieges and revolutions without ever losing its soul. Protected by a wide moat carved into the rock, it embodies the architectural evolution of a medieval fortress gradually transformed into a refined manor house, a process that can be seen right down to the superimposition of its styles. What makes Montastruc truly unique is the stratification that is visible to the naked eye: the 13th and 14th century substructures support a main building rebuilt at the end of the 15th century, to which a second building in the classical style, crowned with a pediment, was added in the 18th century. Two architectures, two sensibilities, two eras thus interact in a composition that is uniquely its own. Inside, there is a major surprise in store: a small private oratory tucked away upstairs, at the junction of the west facade and the north-west tower. This intimate sanctuary, with its three rib-vaulted bays and sculpted bases at the ends of the arches, bears witness to the piety and refinement of its lords at the dawn of the Renaissance. A rare vestige of domestic devotion, it is well worth a visit in its own right. The setting adds to the magic of the place. The moat surrounding the castle, once crossed by a drawbridge, creates a natural distance that preserves the impression of an impregnable fortress. Listed as a Historic Monument since 2001, the château is set in typical Périgord countryside, between woods and valleys, far from the crowds and signposted itineraries, for visitors in search of authenticity.
Architecture
Montastruc castle sits on an impressive natural rock base, giving it both its defensive base and its distinctive visual character. Surrounded by a wide moat, it offers attackers a double barrier - water and rock - once crossed by a drawbridge, replaced in the 18th century by a fixed stone bridge. Traces of a curtain wall with machicolations running along the base bear witness to the original defensive layout, typical of the Périgord fortified castles of the 13th-14th centuries. The main building, rebuilt in 1471 on earlier medieval substructures, has a square-headed plan flanked by three towers, a common feature of castrafe architecture in Périgord at the end of the Middle Ages. On the first floor, at the junction of the west facade and the north-west tower, a slight overhang shelters a private oratory with three bays of ribbed vaulting - a rare and precious feature, whose sculpted bases bearing the starts of the arches are the most precious vestige of medieval interior decoration. The west facade appears to have been enlarged in the 16th century by filling in the space between two towers, making the living space denser. The second building, added between 1760 and 1780, reflects the adoption of classical vocabulary: triangular pediment on the short side, regular arrangement of openings, and end pavilion on the long side. This wing is a perfect illustration of the desire of the lords of the Enlightenment to modernise their homes while preserving the prestige of the historic building. The interior stairwell, where the outline of the third tower remains, offers a striking dialogue between the two construction periods.
Related Figures
Famille d'Abzac de la Douze — seigneurs de Montastruc au XIVe siècle, dont un membre fut lieutenant général du roi d'Angleterre en GuyenneCharles VII — ordonna la décapitation du seigneur d'Abzac en 1438 et le rasement du château pour punir sa fidélité aux AnglaisBlaise de Montluc — capitaine catholique qui assiégea Montastruc en 1568 avec deux canons, forçant sa capitulationLe sénéchal de Périgord — reprit le château aux Protestants en 1569 lors des guerres de Religion
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Château de Montastruc located?
Château de Montastruc is located in Lamonzie-Montastruc, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Château de Montastruc built?
Château de Montastruc dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Château de Montastruc open to visitors?
Château de Montastruc is currently closed to visitors.
