The castle of Bannes is located on the new town of Beaumontois en Périgord, north of the village of Beaumont-du-Périgord, old country house (free town) created by the English in 1272.
25 km south-east of Bergerac, the building is mentioned in the fourteenth century as a fortress. The castle positioned on a rocky hill overlooking the valley of the Couze is the subject of many fights and litigation during the Hundred Years War and it ends up being partly dismantled in 1442. From 1510, its new owner Brandelis de Gontaud -Biron, as well as his brother Armand de Contaud, bishop of Sarlat, rebuild the castle. Having no military vocation, the new Renaissance style building is much more comfortable and becomes a pleasant residence. The beautifully decorated interior (stairs, frescoes, sculptures, elaborate chimneys) has been preserved. Likewise, on the outside, you can still see the remains of the barbican (fortified wall), a drawbridge, a chatelet, a walkway on a curtain wall... Set back, the round towers (including a tower so-called Henry IV with the original painted decoration) and the imposing Renaissance main building contrast in a charming way.
Restored in the 19th century, the castle was listed as a Historic Monument in 2002.
Private property, it is not visited but can be admired from the outside during a hike in the vicinity of the old bastide town of Beaumont.
Information on +33 5 53 35 50 24.
