Centre des monuments nationaux

Castelnau-Bretenoux castle stands on a rocky spur above the Dordogne valley, 38km from Rocamadour. Come and decipher the way its architecture evolved from the 13th through to the 17th century and admire the major collections built up in the early 20th century.

Visiting Castelnau-Bretenoux castle

• An overview of the history of architecture. The square keep and seigniorial residence in red stone are all that remain of the initial 13th-century building. The chateau was modified from the 15th century onwards due to the advent of artillery: shooting rooms were added to the first enclosure, and the wide moat and high curtain walls with a rampart walk and circular corner towers meant it was impregnable. Richly decorated lounges, tall windows, and porticoed galleries were added in the 17th century.

• The collections. The collections of furniture and art objects dating from the Middle Ages through to the 18th century include outstanding religious sculptures dating from the 13th to the 15th century.

• Panoramic views. There are outstanding views of the outlying regions of the Limousin and the Auvergne from the terrace of the Artillery Tower.

Understanding Castelnau-Bretenoux castle

• A rebirth in the Neo-Gothic style. First references to the castle date from the 12th century, and it was extended and modified through the centuries before being extensively destroyed in 1851 by an arson attack. It was bought in 1896 by Jean Mouliérat, a tenor at the Opéra-Comique in Paris and keen art lover, who spent thirty years of his life restoring it before giving it to the State.