Château de Ventadour
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The Château de Ventadour is in the commune of Moustier-Ventadour in the
department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of
Corrèze Corrèze (; oc, Corresa) is a department in France, named after the river Corrèze which runs through it. Although its prefecture is Tulle, its most populated city is Brive-la-Gaillarde. Corrèze is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, ...
( Limousin).


Situation

Placed on a rocky outcrop overhanging the valley of
Luzège The Luzège (; oc, Luseja) is a long river in the Corrèze ''département'', south-central France. Its source is on the Plateau de Millevaches, in Meymac, north-northwest of the town. It flows generally south. It is a right tributary of the Dord ...
, 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. (Though most impressive when glimpsed from the D991, access is advised from the Égletons direction. Access is possible from the D991 but is a steep, single track with tight hair-pin bends).


History

The castle was built in the eleventh century, and probably altered during several periods of construction and rebuilding extending from the twelfth to the fifteenth century. It controlled the viscounty of Ventadour, whose political centers were
Égletons Égletons (; ''Aus Gletons'' in Occitan) is a commune in the Corrèze department in south-western France. Geography Location Égletons is located in the Massif Central at the crossroads of several geographical ensembles. The city leans up agai ...
and Ussel. Ventadour became a county in 1350 under Philippe de Valois, and a Duchy-Peerage in 1578. It was held by the noble family of Ventadour until 1472, when the last heiress married Louis de Lévis, Baron de la Voulte. Later the stronghold passed by marriage to Rohans, and from the Rohan-Soubises-Ventadour line to the
Prince of Condé A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
, who allowed it to fall into disrepair. Sold as a national asset, the castle gradually was dismantled, especially after the
Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * ...
, when it was acquired by the merchant and materials dealer Pertuis du Gay. It was then the property of the duke of Lévis-Mirepoix.


Restoration

The site was classified as an historic site in 1946, but required major renovations due to the extensive damage it had suffered in previous centuries. In 1965, consolidation work and excavations were undertaken to try to restore the former splendor of the fortress. By 1980, it became possible to identify the original location of a certain number of rooms within the enclosure, and several important decorative features of the lordly residence were recovered. Further excavations took place in 2003 (the north-eastern curtain wall) and 2004-2005 (the
barbican A barbican (from fro, barbacane) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer fortifications, defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Europe ...
and tower); nevertheless, the site is now open to the public (for a modest fee). In the summer of 2017 guided tours (in French) were offered.


Chronology

* 1059: One of the sons of the Viscount of Archambaud II of Comborn received the prerogative of Ventadour and decided to establish a fortress there. Construction continued until 1060 with the simultaneous establishment of several châtellenies like Lieuteret, Fontmartin, and in several cities like Égletons, Neuvic, Corrèze, Meymac and Ussel. * 1060: Ebles I founded the priory of Moustier-Ventadour then those of Meymac and Bonnesaigne. * 1096: Ebles I died and his son Ebles II was interested in courteous art of Languedoc and became friend with Guillaume IX of Aquitaine, one of the most famous troubadours of the time. Ebles has founded a poetic school with Ventadour. * 1125: birth of Bernard, son of a servant who became a famous troubadour * 1182:
Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...
established a siege of Ventadour. After a few months, the fortress not succumbing, the siege was raised. * 1198: Richard the Lionheart once again attempted a siege, after which he went to
Châlus Châlus (; oc, Chasluç) is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. History Richard I, King of England was besieging Châlus in 1199 when Pierre Basile wounded him with a crossbow bolt; ...
where he was killed. * 1250-1350: The fortress is deeply altered with higher and thicker ramparts and also more decorated and more comfortable apartments. * 1379: During the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...
, the castle was invested by the robber Geoffroy and a band of plundering rovers who, starting from the fortified place, ransomed and plundered all the area during nearly 10 years. * 1450: a new residence was built in the walls of the castle by Charles de Ventadour. * 1450-1500: Charles and his Louis son organized a military academy in Ventadour for the formation of
pages Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young mal ...
for the service of the King. * 1575: Gilbert III of Ventadour became governor of the Limousin; important religious confrontations ruined his territory. The abbey of Bonnesaigne was burned but Ventadour remained intact. * 1578: Henri III raised the county of Ventadour to a duchy. It became the first Duchy of the Bas-Limousin * 1599: The wars of religion were sources of destruction and plunderings of fortified towns in the Limousin but Ventadour, citadel of the governors, has resisted. * 1631: Charles, new Duke of Ventadour was admitted among the close relations of
Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...
. He was at the same time Lieutenant Général of Languedoc and Gouverneur of the Limousin. * 1649: Charles’ son, Louis-Charles became Duc and
Pair of France The Peerage of France (french: Pairie de France) was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 in the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France (french: Pair de France, links=no) was ...
. He lived in Paris and it was the beginning of the decline of the castle. * 1793: The Comité de salut public of Égletons and the Conventional of Tulle ordered the destruction of Ventadour. The castle was plundered and the roofs were destroyed. * 1796: On July 11, Ventadour is sold to a farrier of Égletons. * 1800: The castle is resold to a demolition contractor who sold materials and who undertook to take off the stones. * 1804: An access path and an opening in the enclosing wall were carried out to facilitate the transport of materials of demolition. * 1829: The vestiges of Ventadour were purchased by Madam d' Ambert de Lamazière to organize pastoral afternoons in the “romantic ruins”. * 1895: The site was transferred to the Lévis-Mirepoix, cousins of the Lévis-Ventadour. * 1900: A feast celebrates Bernard, the troubadour. * 1930-1939: Feasts were organized annually in the site by the mayor of Moustier-Ventadour. * 1940-1945: Used as an observation post by the resistance. Site of a brief engagement with a Nazi column retreating on the D991 where a roadside memorial can be found. * 1965: Beginning of the excavations and of the emergency works of consolidation.


See also

*
List of castles in France This is a list of castles in France, arranged by Region and Department. ;Notes: # The French word ''château'' has a wider meaning than the English ''castle'': it includes architectural entities that are properly called palaces, mansions or vine ...


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ventadour, Chateau De Ruined castles in Nouvelle-Aquitaine Corrèze Monuments historiques of Nouvelle-Aquitaine