Castles of the Dordogne: Château de Commarque
On the banks of the Beune river, 10 km from the center of Les Eyzies de Tayac and close to the prehistoric shelter of Cap-Blanc, the magnificent ruins of the Château de Commarque are nestled in a small valley, in front of the Château de Laussel, surrounded by woods and reachable after a pleasant 800m walk under the trees, on a gentle slope.
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| Chateau de Commarque |
Built in the 12th and 13th centuries. by the de Commarque family, it was, for a long time, the possession of a younger branch of the de Beynac family. It was occupied by the English, then taken again, and finally abandoned from the end of the 16th century, gradually sinking into relative oblivion, with only the powerful keep still emerging from the vegetation.
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| Chateau de Commarque |
In the 1962, the castle was acquired by a descendant of the family that built it, Hubert de Commarque with the intent of restoring it. A tremendous human adventure then began, testimony to the passion and perseverance that heritage lovers can demonstrate.
After clearing the vegetation, the village started to reappear, with its alleys, its stairs cut in the rock and its houses.
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| Chateau de Commarque |
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| Chateau de Commarque |
Nowadays, the visit begins with a walk in the valley at the level of the prehistoric cave which shelters the bas-relief sculpture of the Horse of Commarque, then continues in the cliff by the arranged troglodyte dwellings, and leads in the medieval fortified village.
Finally, the top of the keep offers a view of the valley and the ruins at your feet. From here, we can measure the grandeur of the place, its beauty, and the massive restoration work carried out by the Commarque family for almost 60 years.
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| Chateau de Commarque |
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| Chateau de Commarque |
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| Chateau de Laussel |
A place out of the ordinary and out of time, one of those places that stays in your heart once you discover them; maybe because you didn't expect them, or because they are just perfect. To me, the Château de Commarque, with its romantic aspect of ancient ruin, is one of those places.
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