Château de Ventadour

At an altitude of 572 meters, on a rocky spur that dominates the gorges of the Soudeillette and the Vigne for two hundred meters, the castle of Ventadour raises its imposing ruins in a site that evokes both the power of medieval feudalism and the blossoming of courtly love, to which the name of the troubadour Bernard de Ventadour remains attached. The castle site was built in the 11th century and the oldest remains currently preserved date back to the end of the 12th century. The ramparts, the round tower, the lordly dwelling and the chapel of Saint-Georges can still be seen today. The castle commanded the Viscounty of Ventadour, the cities of Ussel and Egletons. During more than a century (XIIth - XIIIth century), the castle of Ventadour was a center of artistic creation, one of the most important of the Occitan countries.