Porte de Luzier
MonumentHidden Treasure
Porte de Luzier, located in Beaumont (Dordogne), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Beaumont, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.7689, 0.7665
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082355
The last medieval vestige of Beaumont, an English bastide founded in 1272, the Luzier gate retains its portcullis slides and its wall walk carved into the mass - a fragment of Perigordian eternity.
History
In the heart of the Périgord Blanc region, the Luzier Gate stands as the only surviving reminder of the medieval walls of Beaumont-du-Périgord, a fortified town founded at the end of the 13th century under English rule. Set in a landscape of gentle hills and evergreen oaks, this stone vestige imposes its austere silhouette with a dignity that the centuries have not diminished. Its slightly pointed arch, characteristic of the transition between late Romanesque and military Gothic, is the focus of seven hundred years of frontier history. What makes the Luzier gate truly unique is the fact that its defensive system is virtually intact. The attentive visitor will be able to make out in the thickness of the wall the corridor of the covered way, accessible from the adjacent ramparts, as well as the vertical slides in which the portcullis once slid - a rare detail whose preservation gives a concrete idea of how a medieval bastide gate was closed. The inner rampart, pierced by a second opening crowned with battlements, also reveals the double-enclosure layout typical of Gascon fortifications of the period. The visitor experience is intimate and unpretentious. Unlike the great castles of the Périgord that attract the crowds, the Luzier gateway can be discovered in the tranquillity of an unspoilt village. It only takes a few minutes to walk around it, but the eye lingers on the honey-coloured limestone, on the cracks in the masonry that betray the structures that have disappeared, and on the space in between where ditches and hoardings once provided in-depth defence. The setting adds to the charm: Beaumont-du-Périgord retains some of its checkerboard layout typical of Plantagenet bastides, and the nearby church of Saint-Front, a massive 13th-century fortified vessel, is an ideal complement to the historical walk. The Luzier gateway, listed as a Historic Monument since 1952, offers lovers of medieval military heritage an authentic stopover, far from the touristy reconstructions and scenographies.
Architecture
The Luzier gateway belongs to the family of military bastide gates in Périgord, built from local white limestone, a material that is ubiquitous in medieval construction in south-western France. Its most striking feature is its slightly pointed arch, halfway between the Romanesque semi-circular arch and the fully Gothic ogive, which allows it to be dated stylistically to the 14th century, in line with archival data. The major technical feature of this structure is the watchtower built into the very thickness of the rampart wall, a so-called "corridor" system that allowed defenders to walk under cover without exposing themselves. The slides of the portcullis, preserved in the jambs of the gate, are evidence of a vertical sliding closing device, operated from an overhanging manoeuvring chamber that has now disappeared. Towards the interior of the town, a second opening crowned with battlements formed a defensive airlock with the first - a space in between in which any attackers crossing the first barrier would find themselves trapped. This double-fronted system, supplemented by a defensive châtelet on the moat side and corbelled wooden hoardings, made the Luzier gateway an in-depth defensive structure that was fully representative of the fortifications of 14th-century Gascon bastides.
Related Figures
Édouard Ier d'Angleterre — duc d'Aquitaine, commanditaire de la fondation de Beaumont en 1272Lucas de Thaney — lieutenant d'Édouard Ier, fondateur effectif de la bastide en 1272Pierre de Beaufort — capitaine français s'emparant de Beaumont pour le roi de France en septembre 1462Louis XI — roi de France sous l'autorité duquel Beaumont est définitivement rattachée au royaume
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Porte de Luzier located?
Porte de Luzier is located in Beaumont, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Porte de Luzier built?
Porte de Luzier dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Porte de Luzier open to visitors?
Porte de Luzier is currently closed to visitors.
