Château de Montignac

The keep of Montignac-Charente

The Château de Montignac is a ruined castle in the commune of Montignac-Charente, in the Charente département of France. The castle is the property of the commune and has been listed since 1962 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

History

A fortified camp existed at Montignac in the 9th century, during the Norman invasions.

The fortifications of the castle were built and rebuilt several times during the 12th and 13th centuries.

Architecture

Inside the keep

Of the enceinte, there remain the gateway with a portcullis and two round towers on top of an escarpment, the western part of the enceinte and a round tower.

The present fairground corresponds to the lower courtyard.

A 13th century watercolour shows that there were also two towers covered by pepperpots.

The Saint Étienne priory, dating from 1030, was demolished in 1960 and its stones partly used to rebuild the keep. The latter forms an imposing structure from which the view extends across the valley of the Charente River.

References

• (French) Châteaux manoirs logis, la Charente, éditions Patrimoines et Médias, 1993, ISBN 2-910137-05-8

This article incorporates information from this version of the equivalent article on the French Wikipedia.

See also

• List of castles in France

External links

• (French) Ministry of Culture database entry for Château de Montignac

Coordinates: 45°47′4″N 0°7′26″E / 45.78444°N 0.12389°E / 45.78444; 0.12389