Château de Montfort
Encyclopedia
The Château de Montfort is a castle
in the French commune
of Vitrac
in the Dordogne
département, part of the region of Aquitaine
.
The castle clings to a promontory overlooking the Cingle de Montfort (Montfort Meander) on the Dordogne River
. Its grandiose setting "aroused the envy of those who wished to rule Périgord
"
so that its history is a long series of battles and sieges. It was taken and razed to the ground by Simon de Montfort
in 1214. The castle was later rebuilt, but again destroyed another three times: during the Hundred Years' War
, under Louis XI of France
and on the instructions of Henri IV of France.
Renovation work was carried out in the 19th century and gives the castle a "whimsical look of a stage setting for light opera."
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the French commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Vitrac
Vitrac, Dordogne
Vitrac is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:...
in the Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...
département, part of the region of Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
.
The castle clings to a promontory overlooking the Cingle de Montfort (Montfort Meander) on the Dordogne River
Dordogne River
The Dordogne is a river in south-central and southwest France.-Name:Contrary to appearances, the name of the Dordogne is not a recent word resulting from the names of the Dore and the Dogne...
. Its grandiose setting "aroused the envy of those who wished to rule Périgord
Périgord
The Périgord is a former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne département, now forming the northern part of the Aquitaine région. It is divided into four regions, the Périgord Noir , the Périgord Blanc , the Périgord Vert and the Périgord Pourpre...
"
so that its history is a long series of battles and sieges. It was taken and razed to the ground by Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester
Simon IV de Montfort, Seigneur de Montfort-l'Amaury, 5th Earl of Leicester , also known as Simon de Montfort the elder, was a French nobleman who took part in the Fourth Crusade and was a prominent leader of the Albigensian Crusade...
in 1214. The castle was later rebuilt, but again destroyed another three times: during the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
, under Louis XI of France
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
and on the instructions of Henri IV of France.
Renovation work was carried out in the 19th century and gives the castle a "whimsical look of a stage setting for light opera."