Castle of Bourdeilles

The Château of Bourdeilles is the name of a complex of two castles: one, medieval, of the 13th century; the other, palate Rebirth of the 16th century.

Note: The “S” of Bourdeilles is in fact resulting from an administrative error in 1974. The original title of the city, and, by corollary, of its castle, is thus “Bourdeille”. However, by convention, one uses “Bourdeilles” to indicate the city and his castle, and “Bourdeille” to designate the family of Bourdeille of it.

History of the site

A legend of the 4th century

The first source (not history) of which we lay out is a legend of the 4th century which gives a report on the existence of Athilda de Bourdeille, girl of the King d' Angleterre, wife of the frank king Marcomer. From their union were born 7 children, including 3 boys, who appeared particularly courageous and adventurous. They decide to leave to the attack the Gaulle Aquitaine, province under Roman domination. They take a boat and are failed on a mythical island broad of the estuary of the Garonne. They there find men, which appears wild - and which will be made massacre by the 3 brothers - but also of the Griffon S, mythological creatures, which will be right of 2 of the 3 brothers. The last, the elder one, will survive while cutting the greenhouses of scratch, greenhouses which will be reproduced for the future on the blazon of the family of Bourdeille.

A noble den in 1183

The first written source of the existence of a site with Bourdeilles goes back to 1183. At that time, the abbots of Brantôme seek a refuge to flee of the brigands, the pailliers. They take refuge then in Bourdeilles, in a noble den, which one can only suppose that it is then held by the family of Bourdeille.

A medieval fortress with

According to Géraud Lavergne, historian of Périgord and its many residences, oldest description which we have of the first castle of Bourdeilles is the statement drawn up on August 13rd, 1400, at the time of the handing-over of the châtellenie to the new count of Périgord, Louis of Orleans. He confirms the coexistance of the two castles: the castle of the counts and the castle of the baronnie, already in ruin at that time. This last was at the north-eastern angle of the current enclosure, that is to say close to the site of the Renaissance palate.

The medieval castle

The castle of the counts (medieval) occupies all the western terrace. It is composed of a home seigneurial with a keep octagonal and preceded by a court surrounded by high strengthened walls. The construction of the keep would have started at the 13th century and would have been completed at the next century. 35 meters it high with 2,50 meters thickness of the walls and is surmounted by a panoramic terrace from where one has a unspoilable view on Bourdeilles.

The palate Rebirth

Géraud de Maulmont was lord at the 13th century there.

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