The Castelnaud Castle is located in Dordogne which is roughly the area called Périgord in antiquity. Périgord was part of the Duchy of Aquitaine in the 12th century when the castle was founded.http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/eleanor.html

Ever since the Duchess, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was married to Henry of Anjou, the future King of England in 1152, fighting between the kings of France and kings of England over Normandy, Brittany, Maine, Anjou, Touraine, Poitou, Gascony, Saintonge, and Aquitaine lasted for 300 years until the end of the Hundred Years’ War.http://www.tourisme-aquitaine.fr/en/tourisme_aquitaine,488,m1_79B46613,history,prehistory,aquitaine,france.html

The Castelnaud Castle was in the midst of these medieval conflicts and royal war fares in the first 300 years of its history. The fortress was rebuilt in the 13th century after Simon de Montfort seized the castle in 1214. The keep and the area between two bastions were legacy of this period.http://www.castelnaud.com/uk/

The Caumont family became the owner of the castle after the marriage between Magne de Castelnaud, the last heiress of the name, and Nompar de Caumont in 1368. Siding with the English most of the time during the Hundred Years War, Nompar de Caumont was appointed by King Henry IV of England as Seneschal for the Agen region. The castle was used to rival the Château de Beynac, which was in French hands, on the opposite bank of the river Dordogne. A siege in 1442 put the Castelnaud Castle under French authority.http://www.castelnaud.com/uk/

When peace returned, the Caumont family repossessed the Castelnaud Castle until the French Revolution. The old 13th-century fortress was reconstructed by Brandélis de Caumont, his son François and his grandson Charles. They kept the castle more in line with the latest style. François de Caumont built new extensions at Castelnaud in 1489. Meanwhile, he also constructed the Château des Milandes. Despite adding new main building, installing gun ports in the lower wall, erecting new barbican and the artillery tower to make Castelnaud more comfortable and defensively stronger, the Caumonts chose to live in their more agreeable new home at Milandes nonetheless.http://www.castelnaud.com/uk/

In 1562, François de Caumont’s grandson, Geoffroy, came into the family succession. Espoused the Protestant cause and befriended the Protestant Henry de Navarre, future King Henry IV of France, Geoffroy and his nephew, Jacques Nompar de Caumont, were the targets during the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre of Protestants.http://www.castelnaud.com/uk/

In 1563, Geoffroy de Caumont named Geoffroy de Vivans, a Protestant warrior born at Castelnaud in 1543, as the Governor of the castle. Nicknamed “The Battler” and feared throughout the Périgord, Captain Geoffroy de Vivans kept the Castelnaud Castle untouched during the bitter Wars of Religion (1562 – 1598).http://www.castelnaud.com/uk/

Jacques and his son [Armand Nompar] fought for Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu in the Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648). The castle was hardly inhabited in the 17th century and finally abandoned after the French Revolution. Falling into disrepair, the castle was even used as a stone quarry in the 19th century.http://www.castelnaud.com/uk/

Going into the possession of the Rossillon family, the castle and the medieval war machines were restored after being listed as a Historic Site in 1966.http://www.castelnaud.com/uk/

Included in the visit of the castle are the Museum of Medieval Warfare, the medieval siege weapons and the medieval garden.

Visitors may choose the following options:

• 1-hour individual visit provided with free guidebook in six languages
• 45-minute guided visit, daily in July and August
• 1-hour theatrical performances at 8.15 p.m. every weekday in July and August by reservation

Group visit of 20 persons or more is available by appointment all year round except in July and August. There are three types of tours:

• 45-minute guided visit
• 1-hour guided visit plus firing of trebuchet
• 1-hour theatrical performances in the evening

Opening times:

• July – August: 9:00 – 20:00
• April – June and September: 10:00 – 19:00
• February – March and October – November 11: 10:00 – 18:00
• November 12 – January 31: 14:00 – 17:00 except for Christmas holidays: 10:00 – 17:00

The entrance fees vary with the type of visit, the time of visit and the age of visitor. It is best to check the current tariff table on the website of the castle.http://www.castelnaud.com/uk/

The castle also provides special games for children:

• A voyage of discovery is a booklet of Q & A game.
• The lecture room is equipped with comic strips and educational aids devoted to the Middle Ages.
• A computer game: the player is to rescue someone who is imprisoned in the castle.

Other facilities:

• There is a nearby village car park at a small fee.
• The boutique is open all year round.
• Refreshment is available in the tavern, open in July and August, at the entrance of the castle.