Château de Roquetaillade, Mazères, France

The Château de Roquetaillade in Mazères was originally built by Charlemagne on his way tho the Pyrenees. In 1306, with the permission of the English King Edward I, Cardinal de la Mothe, nephew of Pope Clement V built the second fortress (le Château Neuf).

This new castle was square in plan with six towers and a central keep. The entire structure was restored and transformed by Viollet-le-Duc and one of his pupils, Duthoit, between 1860 and 1870. The extraordinary interior decorations, with its furnishings and paintings, were created by Viollet-le-Duc and are listed as French Heritage.

The château park includes remains of the medieval curtain wall with the barbican, the Pesquey stream and its banks, the 19th century chalet, and the Crampet pigeon loft.

The castle has been lived in by the same family for over 700 years. It has been open to the public since 1956 and is the most visited in the Bordeaux region. Open all year round, visits in English with the owners are also possible.

Other activities at the castle include a famous production of white Graves wines 'Chateaufort de Roquetaillade', and Bazadais cattle breeding.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Nigel Harris (2 years ago)
Fascinating chateau with an interesting past. Excellent guided tours

Romain CARPENTIER (2 years ago)
Very nice castle. The guides are super nice (The visit was in french though). This castle renovation was one of the last work of Violet-le-Duc. Unlike a lot of castle in France, this one has kept a lot of furniture which makes it very original. The landscape in the middle of the vineyard and forest is very lovely.

Bridget Skinner (4 years ago)
We were on a coach tour and would certainly recommend this wonderful castle. Our guide could not have been more knowledgeable about the building or the history of the local area. The castle was updated but what an incredible job to maintain the medieval look whilst turning this exceptional building into a comfortable home.

Oleksandr Velykoivanenko (4 years ago)
Beautifully preserved medieval castle with meticulous attention to details and great respect to both visitors and owners. Likely the best castle to visit in Bordeaux area. And they make great wines too! Highly recommended!

Dave Brandman (4 years ago)
Fascinating mideveal castle, still owned and lived in by the descendants of the original family. 3 generations still live 8n the castle today. Last major remodel was in the 19th century.

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The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

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Château de Roquetaillade

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