Castles of the Dordogne: Château de Puymartin
Along the road connecting Sarlat and Les Eyzies, nestled in the middle of the woods, the Chateau de Puymartin has been inhabited for five centuries by the same family. For the same period of time, it has also been associated with the legend of the most popular ghost of the Perigord Noir: the White Lady.
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| Chateau de Puymartin |
Built in the 13th century, the castle was destroyed during the Hundred Years War to prevent it from serving as a support point for the English. Then it was rebuilt in the 15th century by Radulphe de Saint-Clar, and restored at the end of the 19th century by the Marquis de Carbonnier de Marzac.
The round towers, the neo-Gothic keep majestically dominating the Beune valley, the blond stones shining in the sun create an impressive and perfectly preserved architectural ensemble. Inside the castle, the Montbron family, that still owns the premises, has carefully preserved the furniture, the Aubusson tapestries from the 18th century, the trompe-l'oeil fireplace from the 17th century and the French ceiling of the Great Hall adorned with Flemish tapestries.
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| Chateau de Puymartin |
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| Chateau de Puymartin |
One of the most peculiar rooms is the mythology one, originally decorated with paintings in neutral greyish colour fixed on the woodwork with egg white, featuring scenes from Greek mythology.
The visit is relaxed, until it is time to go to the North Tower which remains associated, since the 16th century, with the dark legend of the White Lady.
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| Chateau de Puymartin |
It is said that Jean de Saint-Clar, when he returned to the castle after having distinguished himself in the fighting, surprised his wife Thérèse in the arms of a young lord. Jealous and hateful, he locked her in the tower. She died there after "fifteen long years of repentance" and it is said that her body was walled up there.
Since then, her ghost has never ceased, at nightfall, to haunt the corridors...
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