Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Montclar, attested from 1288 under the Latin name Castrum de Monte Clara, is built on a 45 meters high castral motte, site of a first medieval fortress. At the end of the 15th or early 16th century, a high rectangular tower is built, now representing the south-west third of the house body. This vestige, perhaps the location of the old dungeon, is the only remaining element of this period, the other parts having been depecated during the Revolution and in the 19th century for their materials.

The châtellenie de Monclar, whose castle was the centre, included nine surrounding parishes, highlighting its strategic and administrative importance. The site, surrounded by original ditches, has been partially restored or modified over the centuries, especially during the 4th quarter of the 19th century. The vestiges to the east of the building make it possible to imagine the initial volume of the building, although subsequent transformations altered its original structure.

The castle has been listed as historical monuments since 2007, including fences, floors and terraces. He belonged to prominent figures, such as surgeon Samuel Pozzi (1846–1918), who received figures such as actress Sarah Bernhardt. More recently, the historian Patrick Esclafer of La Rode (1944–2015), a specialist in legitimism, also owned it, contributing to its cultural and historical influence.

The village of Montclard, structured around the castle, preserves a remarkable architectural heritage, including a medieval hall rebuilt in 1655 and ancient houses with wooden galleries and stone columns. These are evidence of past economic activity, including monthly fairs, such as the one for fat oxen. The site is part of a hilly landscape typical of the central Périgord, between forests and agricultural land.

Nearby, the church of Saint Georges, of Romanesque origin (XII century), and the chapel of Sainte-Thérèse in the village, complete this religious and civil heritage. The commune, crossed by the Caudeau, displays a topography marked by natural hazards (floods, withdrawal-swelling of clays), reflecting its complex geological and hydrographic environment.

External links