2 3 Château de Castelnaud - Press Kit Château de Castelnaud - Press kit

And yet, there are the passionate who refuse to accept the inevitable, the initiatives that transform ruins into a splendid setting where ideas can flour-ish. The pearl that sits in that setting is a museum of which the concept was patiently nourished over the years.

While they may not be able to explore a ruin like the hero in an adventure novel, visitors to the Château de Castelnaud are today invited to explore history. History with a capital H, of which the château was more than just a witness, but a real actor, as seen in the constantly enriched col-lections of the Museum of War in the Middle Ages.The many weapons and armours exhibited here weave a permanent link between the past and the present, just like the events in the Living History, which recreates within the ramparts, the life of the soldiers in the 15th century.

Visitors are also encouraged to explore the dif-ferent stories, for all audiences, that can be heard and seen thanks to the many activities offered. And in that way they are invited to let themselves be carried away by the joys of discovery, surprise, learning and entertainment...

Rarely does the phrase “learning while having fun” have more meaning.

Castelnaud at the crossroads of History

Chronicle of a rebirth

Kléber Rossillon, an engineering engineer

The Museum of Medieval Warfare

A château full of resources!

Living the Middle Ages

Medieval giftshop & bookshop

Practical informations

From its construction to its restoration, from its destruction to its rebirth, eight centuries of history made the Château de Castelnaud in Périgord a protago-nist in the main wars that marked the Middle Ages. Left to abandon during the French Revolution, it did almost fall to ruin and yet...

Editorial

SummaryDirector of Publication

Patricia FruchonHead of Cultural Developmentp.fruchon@castelnaud.com

Communication and Press OfficerChristine Laborde - presse@castelnaud.com

EditorLoïc Leymerégie et S.A.R.L. Kléber Rossillon

pour le Château de Castelnaud, 2015. Photographs

S.A.R.L. Kléber Rossillon pour le Château de Castelnaud, G Lachaud, JM Laugery, M Boutry, JB Rabouan.

PublishingS.A.R.L. Kléber Rossillon

Château de Castelnaud24250 Castelnaud-la-ChapellePhone: +33 (0)5.53.31.30.00

Cover graphics© Sandrine RabouanPress kit graphics

© graphikarbre.com

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Once upon a time… a Cathar refuge between Heaven and Earth We are at the beginning of the 13th century. Bernard de Casnac is a powerful lord. As well as this site, he owns the nearby strongholds of Domme, Aillac and Montfort. But he is a fervent supporter of the dualist religious beliefs of the Cathars (also known as the Albigensians) and treated Catholics cruelly.In 1214, a northern baron named Simon de Montfort is sent down to crush the Cathar “heretics”. Told of Bernard de Casnac’s activities, he lays siege to the Château de Castelnaud and captures it... for a brief period. The following year, Bernard de Casnac recaptures his property, but the castle is finally burned down a few months later by order of the Archbishop of Bordeaux. The pattern had been set!All that remains of the original château are a few stones reddened by fire. Some were probably put to use again in the reconstruction of the castle which followed the disaster. Surviving from this restoration today, perched proudly on their rocky spur, are the square keep and the curtain wall. During this period, the château was also endowed with a barbican, and the thick wall of the main living quarters already loomed high over the Dordogne.

The Hundred Years War between France and England1337: the Hundred Years War breaks out. The castle’s sole heir is Magne de Castelnaud; through her marriage with Nompar de Caumont, it becomes the property of his family... which supports the English. The site is prosperous and is recognised as one of the principal power-centres in the Périgord, along with the Château de Beynac, its close neighbour and sworn enemy. In contrast, the Barons of Beynac are loyal to the French crown.The conflict actually lasts rather more than a century. Over that period, the Château de Castelnaud changes hands many times. Finally, in 1442, the French King orders a siege of the castle, then held again by followers of the English monarch. The Comte du Périgord, supported by several local lords and with financial aid from the burghers of Sarlat, retakes Castelnaud without a shot being fired. After three weeks of siege, the captain in charge of the castle, Pascal de Theil, has handed over its keys in exchange for his life being spared and a “sweetener” of 400 gold crowns. The English leave Castelnaud for good and, 11 years later, the Hundred Years War comes to an end with the French victory at Castillon on July 17, 1453.

The modern era: splendour and decay After the war, the Caumont family regain their property and reconstruct it. Its former feudal style takes on a more open appearance, but with the imperatives of defence still paramount. The bailey is protected by a new wall with two semi-circular towers, pierced with cannon ports. Also installed is a new barbican and a drawbridge at its entrance.A recent archaeological research has established that the impressive bastion, on the northern side of the château, dates from this same period. Castelnaud remains its lords’ power-centre and is adapted to the military practices of the day – as witness the artillery tower built in the early part of the 16th century.Also in the 16th century, the Caumonts adopt the Protestant faith. The Huguenot captain Geoffroy de Vivans, born at Castelnaud defended it during France’s bitter Wars of Religion (1562-98) and fought the Catholics so ferociously that he was feared throughout the whole region. Thanks to this redoubtable figure, whose exploits became legendary, nobody dared to attack the castle in all that period.

The Caumont family, therefore, remained masters of the site. In the 17th and 18th centuries, however, they experienced such good fortune in Society and won so many glorious distinctions that they neglected their old château in the Périgord, finding it much too far from the royal court...After the French Revolution in 1789, the site was rapidly overgrown and Castelnaud became a ghost of its former self. Worse, it was used as a stone quarry; in 1832, when the river traffic and the emancipation of the village of Castelnaud necessitated the construction of a slipway for its riverside port, the builders found it easier to send blocks of stone tumbling down from the southern part of the castle rather than hew new stones for the purpose.That’s how History goes! But only for a while... because, in 1966, the château was classed as a Listed Building at the request of its new owners, Philippe and Véronique Rossillon. They bought it after hearing that some English people wanted to acquire it (yet again!). Thus began its renaissance.

There are certain sites, as with great men, that are remembered over the centuries: they were at the meeting-point of major events, they had an appointment with History. The Château de Castelnaud is one of them. Here is its story.

Castelnaud at the Crossroads of History

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It was this somewhat surrealist tip-off that began the resurrection of the Château de Castelnaud. The hint was addressed to Philippe Rossillon, who had just come to buy a donkey in the Céou valley, very close to Castelnaud, and who realised that the dealer was attempting to swindle him. Never-theless, the man’s evocation of a British future for the château was a bait that M. Rossillon could not resist. He replied with one word: “Never!” Then made straight to his notary to deal with the pur-chase. From that point, the Château de Castelnaud came back to life under the impulse of its new owners. Here is a chronological account of that renaissance.

1965 A lover of the Périgord, from which his family originated, Philippe Rossillon - with his wife, Véronique - buys the Château de Castelnaud.

1966 At the request of its new proprietors, the château is classed as a Listed Building.

1974 – 1980 A first programme for restoring the château concluded with the reconstruction of the collapsed parts on the north side of the building, the main living quarters (of which only the walls remained), the curtain wall and the keep. Some areas of the bailey and the ditches were cleared of their debris. This initial stage was car-ried out in accordance with indications given by the vestiges of the building itself.

1983 Kléber Rossillon, son of Philippe and Véronique, takes over management of the site and continues the work started by his parents. Two years later, he creates the Museum of Medieval Warfare.

1996 A second phase in the restoration gets under way. Directed by Philippe Oudin, chief architect of the French nation’s Listed Buildings network, it is the largest work-site of its type in S.W. France. The task calls upon the best crafts-men in the Dordogne department, working under

the attentive eye of Gilles Séraphin, who knows the château well as architect for the official body concerned with preservation of the national heri-tage. This stage sees the complete reconstitution of three large rooms in the living quarters and another in the keep. The artillery tower is raised by a storey and, in its upper part, a lintel weighing 600 kg is reinstalled. A wide-ranging terrace now gives a view over the entire valley, bringing home the castle’s strategic importance. All that now remains to be restored is the bastion...

2005 The job is done. With restoration of the bastion protecting the northeast of the bailey, the side most vulnerable to attack, rehabilitation of the Château de Castelnaud is completed. In this same year, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Museum of Medieval Warfare, a mangonel is constructed - based on the specifications of a 12th-century Arab manuscript. It joins the collection of siege weapons now displayed on the bastion.

2009 The scenography of the Museum of War in the Middle Ages was revamped; the lighting of the collections was redesigned in some of the most visited rooms and the collections grew with new and exceptional pieces.

2016 Supervised by Pascal Fournigault, plastic artist, a wall painting on the theme of the Nine Worthies is created in one of the rooms of the main building.

2017 The stone tile (“lauze”) roofs of the East building are now restored. The museum collections get enriched with reconstructions of historical costumes, exhibited in two of the castle rooms. A new, significant chapter also begins this year: Kléber Rossillon hands over the company’s

reins to his 29-year-old daughter Geneviève, a gra-duate of HEC international business school and of the life sciences and agronomy research institute, AgroParisTech.

Today... The restoration itself is now finished, the sources of information and other historic indications having all been exploited. But the enhancement does not stop there!

The donkey is as you see it, said the horse dealer, but I can tell you of a château that’s different... Pity it’s going to be bought by an Englishman.

Chronicle of a rebirth

“ “

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Before talking about the museum housed by the château, can you tell us a bit more about your own background?My family is originally from Beynac, where I went to school. From a very early age, I loved ancient buildings - largely thanks to my mother, who was responsible for having much of the village restored. An engineer by training, I started work at 23 with the Centre for Space Studies in Paris, then did work for the Defence Ministry, particularly on the Ariane satellite launcher. After my parents bought the château and opened it to the public, things moved very quickly; to our great surprise, the number of visitors grew from one season to the next. From 1985, the site had been managed by a company; but in view of our success, we decided on another legal structure... and in 1995 I finally gave up my engineering career to devote myself to Castelnaud above all - thus exchanging a rocket for a trebuchet!

What gave you the idea of creating the Mu-seum of Medieval Warfare here?When I was a kid, I wondered why castle walls were so thick. Then, one day, the historian Jacques Miquel told me that it was the damage caused by military attack weapons which brought about the development of castle architecture, and not the other way round. Hence the challenge I set myself about those machines which assailed the fortress-es: that some time in the future, I would get some built to real size.

The seed was sown... Were there any precedents?The last and only serious attempt, up to then, was carried out in 1851 by order of Louis-Napoleon III (then President, subsequently Emperor of France). Adopting the method used by Viollet-le-Duc, it was necessary to analyse medieval iconography to draw up blueprints of the machines and then make full-size versions able to fire on ranges laid out for that purpose. Medieval artillery worked on the sling principle pushed to the ultimate: thanks to the energy from counterweights of several

tons, projectiles of 100 kg (nearly 7 cwt.) could be fired over more than 200 metres. For the first time, thanks to the Museum of Medieval Warfare, both this artillery and the first, late-14th-century cannons were under the same roof as the military architecture they had brought about.

You didn’t stop there...No, indeed. In 1996, we bought Marqueyssac and its gardens, just opposite Castelnaud. Since 2005, the Institute de France has given us responsibility for running the Château de Langeais, on the River Loire near Tours. From 2011 the things accelerated: the company obtained the management of the Doux Velorail and the Sightseeing Train of the Ardèche, as well as the Museum of Montmartre in Paris. In 2015, the Caverne du Pont d’Arc, in Ardèche, opened to the public. In 2017, the company has grown through the management of the castle of Murol (Auvergne region), and of the castle of Suscinio and its 150 acres natural reserve, property of the Morbihan department (Brittany region). As of January 2019, a tenth tourist attraction joins the list of sites it manages: the Memorial 1815, located on the Waterloo battlefield in Wallonia (Belgium).

What are your motives, your objectives?Tourism makes the most important contribution to the economy of the Sarlat region, where we are situated. We can’t be slapdash. We show our heritage at its best as a public service. But I don’t ask myself what the public would wish to see or visit. On the contrary, I would hope to inspire what they wish. In the event, when I please myself, it does no one any harm! At Castelnaud, everything has been conceived to arouse the curiosity of children in particular, but I have noted that this approach also suits a very wide range of visitors, which gives me one of my greatest satisfactions. The secret of our success is to have known how to speak to every kind of public with regard to the history of the site. In theatrical terms, we are the producers of heritage.

Besides the reconstituted war machines lined up along the bastion, the walls of the château enclose a treasure: the Museum of War in the Middle Ages, which presents staff weapons, swords, crossbows and even more! In addition to its favourable geographic position and a much-lauded architecture, the château houses one of the most beautiful private collections of weapons, amongst them war machines, firearms and handheld weapons. And what can we say about the shining armour, the immobile sentinels watching over the peace of the place?It is for a good reason that a much more peaceful public now flocks here, making it the most visited château in Southwest France.

The Château de Castelnaud is today the property of Kléber Rossillon, the son of Philippe and Véronique. He is also the owner of the château and gardens of Marqueyssac. Let’s meet him.

Kléber Rossillon, an engineering engineer

The museum of medieval

Warfare

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A château full of resources! What better setting to explore medieval history?

Be it tours or workshops, the pupils are super-vised by Heritage officers who tailor speech and practice to all levels and audiences. All the activi-ties take place within the castle, in the heart of the museum or in the designated educational spaces.The château’s educational service strives to draw a parallel between curricula and the castle’s pedagogical resources. Educational workshops and artistic activities put the spotlight on various crafts.

A coat of arm like you Or or Argent? Sable or Azure? The children learn the vocabulary and get to create a coat of arms in their own image.

Following a monas-tic scribe closelyWriting with a stylus pen? Illuminating a dropcap?Children will learn gothic writing in parallel to the information and resources.

Attack the castle! Placed in the situation of attackers or defenders, the students go off on a mission in the château to identify and understand its architecture.

The panoply of a perfect combatant

A guided tour full of surprises (trying on armour, handling of weapons) lets children discover the complete panoply of a knight.

The builders’ secrets Just like the medieval engineers, the children measure with feet and inches and try using the arithmetic rope with its thirteen knots.

Dining in the Middle Ages Budding cooks discover all the places in the château used for preparing a banquet and bring together what they have learned in a card game.

A colourful fresco Supplied with digital tablets, children investigate so as to prepare a video report about the painted decorations depicting the Nine Worthies theme.

Artistic activities A workshop in medieval dances introduces the younger children to the carole and the saltarello, while a “coat of arms” activity lets them create their own emblem using patterns.

Interactive storytelling and theatrical tours allow pupils to experience a visit where magic meets fun and where the fantastic is matched only by intri-gues. Guided tours (45 min) are on offer too. It is also possible for anyone to discover the castle and its collections (more than 250 weapons and pieces of old armours from all over Europe) one one’s own, at one’s own pace (approx. 1h). Audiovisuals media, video games and scale models punctuate the museum’s itinerary. Outside, a medieval-style garden pleasantly concludes the tour.

People with disabilities The château’s educational service offers most of the activities listed above in a programme suited to people with special needs.

Where would our historic heritage go if we did not constantly endeavour to ensure its legacy? At Castelnaud, the question does not arise: the military aspect of the château couples with an impressive pedagogic arsenal.

Adult groups

School groups and specific public

Guided tour with demonstration of firing a trebuchet (1h)

After the guided tour, you can watch a demonstration by your guide of the firing of a trebuchet. Using a one-third scale model, you will better understand the workings of the most powerful war machine of the Middle Ages.

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It is been several years now since the castle of Castelnaud introduced this form of Heritage enhancement between its ramparts. Bring visitors and reenactors face to face, engage their interac-tion make for an effective method to get immer-sed in History. And here, historical accuracy is synonymous with entertainment! The audience is indeed partial to this sort of knowledge transmis-sion that makes History accessible and interesting.Visitors to the castle of Castelnaud are often invited to live the Middle Ages with respect for the legacy of the place: firing a trebuchet, trying on of armour, use of weapons show, shooting and blacksmithing demonstrations, face to face with men-at-arms…

Childhood heroes brought back to lifeOnce a year during autumn holidays, an original event is scheduled for one weekend. It is presented by “La Massenie de Saint-Michel” reenactment

group which is specialised in the late 15th century. Their aim is to document and recreate what the life of our medieval heroes - the knights - was like. Beyond the contagious enjoyment of reliving the late Middle Ages, it is the pedagogical side of reenactment that chiefly matters to them.

In addition to guided tours, the castle offers activi-ties for families during every school holiday.

Archery(winter break)

An introduction to this discipline which helped win many battles during the Hundred Years’ War.

Try an armour or a gown of chatelaine (Autumn, Christmas and winter breaks)A unique occasion to wear a reconstituted armour from the 15th century or the recreation of a gown worn in the 14th century by a chatelaine. For children between the ages of 3 and 12.

Crossbow shooting(spring break)A new activity which will allow children aged 5 to 14 to test their skill with a very popular precision weapon of the Middle Ages. Face to face with an arquebusier of the religious war(spring and autumn breaks, may and june holidays)A costumed character presents the offensive and defensive equipment of an arquebusier.

Blacksmith demonstration(spring, summer and autumn breaks)A blacksmith works in the forge before the visi-tors’ eyes and reveals the secrets of metal and fire.

A show of arms(summer break)A medieval-inspired farce performed by two ac-tors who draw the public into their eccentricities!

Mystery in the donjon, go investigate!(summer break)An evening show during which the public is invited to follow comedians in the château to solve an enquiry.

Leisure and pleasure during medieval times(Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd November)

Historical reenactment groups take over the castle for a whole weekend and offer visitors a chance to experience!

Family events

Living the Middle Ages

The castle of Castelnaud puts Living History in the spotlight

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A hobby which appeared in France during the late 1970s, historical reenactment gained its first adherents by recreating military battles dressed in period attire. For the last 15 years or so, the said activity has headed towards an exploration of daily life and crafts of people from the past - this form of experimentation has taken the name of “Living History”. Numerous groups were born, dedicated to cautiously recreating objects, clothes, furniture, decor and context of an era, using the latest and most accurate historical and archaeological research. Free of dramatization and role-playing, this form of Heritage transmission gives a chance to bring scientific data to life in historical sites, to experience and share this knowledge with the public in a pedagogical way. Living Historians, who are also called reenactors, can thus be obvious historical interpreters through an interactive and sensory approach.Educational, inspiring and entertaining at the same time, Living History is an unusual bridge for knowledge that offers to get reconnected with our medieval collective memory.

What is Living History?

Whether you are passionate about the medieval era or just curious, you will find something here to perfect your expertise or arouse interest of young and old alike.The castle’s shop is open year-round in line with the site’s opening times. Online shopping is also available through our website: www.castelnaud.com.

Medieval giftshop & bookshop

The castle’s shop offers a wide selection of specialised publications about the Middle

Ages, as well as games and toys, children’s books, war machine models and many other

gifts available as souvenirs of your visit.

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La Dordogne

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Toulouse

Limoges

Lyon

Bordeaux

Paris

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Dir. Cahors

Saint-Cyprien

Montignac

Salignac

Castelnaud

Cénac

Beynac Vézac

Les jardins de Marqueyssac

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Dir. CahorsToulouse

Dir. Bergerac

Dir. Agen

Dir. Limoges

Dir. Clermont-FerrandLyon

Dir. Bordeaux

SouillacLalinde

Les Eyzies

Le Bugue

BrivePérigueux

Dir. LimogesParis

NearbySarlat train station Transpérigord Bus Line for Souillac-Sarlat and Périgueux-Sarlat

Bergerac Airport, 65 km awayAirport de Brive-la-Gaillarde, 57 km away

Good to know, for the comfort of your visitThe castle’s configuration and its many narrow stairways make access to the museum’s rooms difficult for people with reduced mobility. However, access to the lower courtyard, the viewing point and the barbican is possible.Moving about with prams and pushchairs inside the castle as well as outside is difficult; it is strongly recommended to leave them in the designated space at the castle’s entrance.

• Self-guided tour with marked route (1h). • Guided tours from April to October.

• Guided tours in summer.

• Pay municipal parking lots a 3-minute walk from the castle. Free parking lot by the Dordogne river (15 minutes walk).• Dogs allowed on a leash.• Baby-changing table in the restrooms.

• Free guide booklet in 12 languages and in Braille given at the reception desk ; you can also down-load it on our website castelnaud.com “Helping Tools” section.

• Educational guide booklet (upon request).• Games booklet, for children aged 7 to 12: “The secrets of the Château de Castelnaud”. 24 pages of illustrated games to guide children through the castle and its museum.

• Reading room for young children in the château.• Medieval giftshop & bookshop open year-round. Online shopping is also available through www.castelnaud.com (“Tour Informa-tion” section). • The tavern, refreshments stand, open in season.

Open 365 days a year. 5,781,994 visitors since 1984. Visitors: 17,000 in 1985; 244,342 in 2017 including 16,500 school children. More than 250 weapons and pieces of old armour displayed in the museum’s approxi-mately 520m² of exhibition space. In the high season, 15 guided tours per day, 6 of which are in foreign languages, 14 permanent employees and 19 seasonal workers.453 steps in the château, 190 meters between the top of keep and the Dor-dogne.2 “Guide Vert Michelin” stars.At least 800 years of a dense and presti-gious history.

castelnaudin figures!

Practical informations

The château de Castelnaud is open every day year-round. Last admission one hour before closing time.

Prices evening show (July and August): Adult: 15,50 € - Child (5 to 17 years): 10 €Free for child under 5

Combined admission castle / evening show (July and August): Adult: 21 € - Child (10 to 17 years): 12 €Child (5 to 9 years): 10 €

Twinned admission with the Jardins de Marqueyssac: (valid for 1 year, except during the candlelight evenings and the evening show) From 5 November to 31 March:Adult: 18 € - Child (10 to 17 years): 9 €Free for child under 10

From 1 April to 4 NovemberAdult: 19 € - Child (10 to 17 years): 9,50 €Free for child under 10

Subscription card “Amis de Castelnaud”:(unlimited access for 1 year): 19 €

Preferencial prices with the pass VisitPerigord

February, March and October 1 to

November 11April, May, June,

September July, August November 12 to January 31

10:00 - 18:00

10:00 - 19:00

9:00 - 20:00

(Mystery show at 20:30 and 22:30 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays)

14:00 - 17:00(Christmas holidays:

10:00 - 17:00)

From 5 November to 31 March From 1 April to 4 November

Adult 9,90 €10,90 €

(9,80 € in July and August before13:00)

Child (10 to 17 years) 5 €5,50 €

(4,90 € in July and August before13:00)

Child under 10 Free

Opening hours

ACCess

Plan your visit

OUR documentation

Our additional services

Prices

La Dordogne

La V

ézèr

e

Toulouse

Limoges

Lyon

Bordeaux

Paris

A20

A89

Dir. Cahors

Saint-Cyprien

Montignac

Salignac

Castelnaud

Cénac

Beynac Vézac

Les jardins de Marqueyssac

A89

A2

0

D703

D704

D703

D57

D4

6

D7

04

D7

10

D47

D62

SARLAT

Gourdon

Dir. CahorsToulouse

Dir. Bergerac

Dir. Agen

Dir. Limoges

Dir. Clermont-FerrandLyon

Dir. Bordeaux

SouillacLalinde

Les Eyzies

Le Bugue

BrivePérigueux

Dir. LimogesParis

18 Château de Castelnaud - Press Kit

Du 15 juillet au 27 août À 10 km de Sarlat

Réservation en lignewww.castelnaud.comou au 05 53 31 30 00

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MYSTÈRE AU DONJON,MENEZ L’ENQUÊTE !

N O C T U R N E

Château de Castelnaud24250 Castelnaud-la-Chapelle

Tél. +33 (0)5 53 31 30 00

Contact château chateau@castelnaud.com

Communication and press officer Christine Laborde

presse@castelnaud.com

www.castelnaud.com