|
|
A
château with a long history  Château de la Poujade is very welcoming. As you approach, you will see the château surrounding a spacious courtyard with soft landscaping and specimen trees. Another aspect of the château is shown in this photo ~ a pretty château on a high point of the estate allowing for a panoramic view of the countryside. |
|
| Château de la Poujade was erected by the Saint-Ours, an old noble family in the Sarlat region who possessed, besides the Lordship of Urval, quite a number of other noble properties in the neighborhood. Some of those properties were passed to the Montalembert family through marriage in 1672, then to the Marquis de Commarque in 1806, and next to the Greenwell family. At the time of World War II, the Allies and André Malraux settled in at la Poujade. Along with the family's nearby Château de la Bourgonie, some major French paintings were stored here by the Louvre Museum, the Museum of Nancy, the Musée Ingres in Montauban and the Museum of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to protect them from confiscation. Count Hubert de Commarque continues to maintain and to share this chateau and Château de la Bourgonie with his guests. | |
 
The Dramatic Feudal Fortress of
Commarque
View from the Donjon - Fortress of Commarque
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.
|
|
 Back to
Château de la Poujade
|