A contrast of chateaux

The thought has occurred to me I haven't written too much about our holiday in the Dordogne. It's time for another episode.

As we've both said in our blogs, it was wet, very wet, so we had to find indoor activities. Among other things we visited a couple of chateaux. Their styles were very different, reflecting the changing times in which they were built.

Chateau de Losse

 

 

 

The oldest chateau was the Chateau de Losse. This was undeniably built as a fortification.  It was built on the banks of the Vezere river, giving it protection from attack from that direction.

The gatehouse

View along the old moat to a turret

The Losse family moved here in the 11th century, building this castle. Subsequently it was at the centre of the medieval Hundred Years War & the 16th century French Wars of Religion. As greater peace established itself in the 17th century, the family adapted it to more modern life, building a permanent bridge across what was the moat, using one turret as a dovecote & developing some extensive gardens.

Knot garden going down to the river

Unfortunately the gardens were not at their best. Not long before the temperatures had got down to -17C during the day, with the result that many plants had died & were having to be replaced. The cold had killed them off.

The other chateau we visited was the Chateau de Hautfort. There was a castle built here in the 9th century. The present castle, though is a complete reconstruction built in the 17th century, when the Marquis de Hautfort was in the service of Louis XIII & First Equerry to Queen Anne as well a counsellor to the King.

This is a place more reminiscent of the many Loire Chateaux, not to mention Versailles. Indeed it used some of the people involved in the design of the latter. It's a true pleasure palace, reflecting the importance & wealth of its owner. 


This chateau, too is strategically placed above the village of Hautfort, dominating the countryside for miles around, only this time one suspects it was located for the view from the chateau rather than its defensive qualities.

Chateau de Hautfort, high above the village

It, too, had magnificent gardens. There are very formal with elegant box hedges, again very much in the style of Versailles.

The gardens & beyond

Yet more gardens

A tunnel of trees

The interior was opulent, too, though unfortunately much was lost in a terrible fire in 1968. Much effort has been made to restore it to its former glory.

The Marquis did not spend all his wealth on himself. He also did much to build & support the hospital at Hautfort which I have already written about. and that is probably why the family survived the French Revolution as the family protected them in return.

The Musee de la Medecine in the former hospital