Château de Ventadour

For the castle of the same name in l'Ardèche, see Château de Ventadour (Ardèche). For the troubadour, see Bernart de Ventadorn. For the theatre, see Salle Ventadour.
Ruins of the Château de Ventadour.

The Château de Ventadour is in the commune of Moustier-Ventadour in the department of Corrèze (Limousin).

Situation

Placed on a rocky outcrop overhanging the valley of Luzège, only few vestiges remain on the site of this feudal castle, which is still remarkably wild. The existing enclosure follows the contour of the plateau thus protecting a place of 170 m length and 30 m wide at its maximum. One finds inside some traces of a chapel and a residence, an important round tower and a section of wall seeming to be that of a square keep.

History

The castle built in the 11th century, probably altered during several periods of construction and rebuilding spreading out essentially from the 12th to the 15th century, controlled the viscounty of Ventadour whose capitals were Égletons and Ussel. Of viscounty until 1350, it was transformed into county by Philippe de Valois, then in Duchy-Peerage in 1578. It belonged thus to the first lineage of Ventadour, resulting from the lineage of Comborn, until 1472, date of the marriage of the last heiress with Louis de Lévis, baron de la Voulte. After Lévis-Ventadour, the stronghold belonged, still by marriage, to Rohans; and to Rohan-Soubises-Ventadour, passed to the Prince of Condé, who ignored the castle.

Sold as a national asset, the castle became the prey of the demolition contractors, especially after the Bourbon Restoration, when it was acquired by a material merchant of the name of Pertuis du Gay. It was then the property of the duke of Lévis-Mirepoix.

Restoration

Classed as a historic site in 1946, the site already strongly damaged required major work. In 1965, consolidation work and excavations were undertaken to try to reconstitute the former splendor of the fortress.

The excavations continued until 1980 when it beaceme possible to identity contours of a certain number of rooms inside the enclosure and to bring to light several important decorations of the lordly residence. Excavations were performed in 2003 (north-eastern curtain wall), in 2004 and 2005 (barbican, tower) with consolidations. Nevertheless, the site remains closed to the public.

Chronology

See also

External links

Coordinates: 45°23′32″N 2°7′0″E / 45.39222°N 2.11667°E / 45.39222; 2.11667

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