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A
château with a long history| Château de la Bourgonie has been in the Count de Commarque's family since the 14th century modeled after the castle of Henri IV with a square, closed courtyard. The château sits on about thirty hectares of land (seventy-four acres) comprised of fields, woodland and parkland. The early history of the family at the château includes Geraud de Commarque, a Knight in the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, who went on a Crusade. Nineteen generations later, Comte Hubert de Commarque cares for this château as well as the Château de la Poujade. Sadly, the Comte's father, Gerard de Commarque, was killed at Buchenwald for acts of Resistance during World War II. The Louvre Museum, Museum of Nancy, the Ingres Museum and the Museum of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg chose these two châteaus to house some major French paintings for safekeeping. | |
  It was in 1972 that
Comte Hubert de Commarque purchased the ruins of the medieval fortress
of Commarque, the historic birthplace of his family. Following archaeological
research and extensive restoration work, which continues to this day, the
Comte opened this amazing castle to the public in 2001. Situated
near Les Eyzies de Tayac, and not far from Sarlat, the fortress overlooks
the Valley of the Beune. A natural spring brought people there in
prehistoric times. The dramatic keep was erected in 1380, and nearby
the ruins of a fortified village, knight's tower, chapel and houses built
into the rock were discovered by archaeologists covered in vegetation for
over 350 years. Visitors today can walk on the grounds in the valley
to reach the keep (donjon) from April to November 1st. Although
there is a fee to visit for the general public, guests of Château
de la Bourgonie are offered free visits.
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