Château / Châteaux can be a confusing word for English speakers. It’s
associated with vineyards, but it is also a term to describe a grand home, manor house, castle, or the British ‘ hall’. In France a fortified castle would be more correctly called a Château Fort, a modern Château a ” Château grand “. Generally a Château should have gardens, farm land, outbuildings and be self sufficient in produce , poultry, meat, fish etc. A very grand city house could be called a Palais or Hôtel particulier, but this does not translate directly to Palace as in the English sense. In France a medieval period Château would have been built as a heavily fortified property as protection from the dangers of the time, after the 19th century, in safer times, many of the outer protective walls were removed and the properties opened up.
The Dordogne has many many 100’s of beautiful properties that are
called a Chateau, but in an English sense are a Manor house , fortified Castle, Grand Country home, Country Estate…..and so forth. Many properties are ruins that remain from the ” 100 year war ” of 1337 to 1453 and the Wars of Religion 1562 to 1598. Generally the older houses built around these ruins are built from the stone from these old Châteaux, this is ancient recycling ! Our Maison Porte del Marty is correctly called a Maison de Maitre (a Master’s House) in English, this is a Manor House. The 1st known building on our site was a Roman Fort, the 2nd building was a fortified Chevaliers or Knights Chateau and the village and inhabitants were his property and he would have been known as the Lord of his domain.
The photos here show a range of properties all within 15 minutes drive
of Maison Porte del Marty, as you can see we have a fairytale castle, the more gothic Château de Lanquais, some handsome village Châteaux plus ruins remaining in Banueil, Sauveboeuf and Cause de Clerans. All help create the atmosphere of living in this beautiful region.
