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Origin and history

The castle of Fénelon is a medieval castle built in the 12th century on a height overlooking the Dordogne valley, in the commune of Sainte-Mondane (Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Redesigned in the 14th, 16th and 17th centuries, it illustrates the evolution of gasconic fortifications, from strategic stronghold to aristocratic residence. Its defensive system, consisting of three successive enclosures and chestnuts with mâchicoulis, reflects medieval military techniques. The 13th century chapel, the 98-metre Merovingian well, and the lauze roofs bear witness to its rich past.

Originally linked to the Cathar sphere (XIIth–XIIIth centuries), the castle changed hands after the Bretigny treaty (1360), becoming English before being taken over by the French in 1375. In the 17th century, he welcomed the birth of François de Salignac de La Mothe-Fénelon (1651), the future archbishop of Cambrai and figure of the Enlightenment. The Revolution transformed him into a silkworm breeder, before his classification at the Historical Monuments (1927 and 1962). Damaged by a supersonic aircraft in 1966 and weather conditions in 2022, private property remains open to the public.

The 14-hectare site, registered since 1951, includes protected outbuildings: the Condamine farm, the nursing home, and the Fraysange farmhouse. Its architecture combines defensive elements (circular towers, cannon trees) and residential developments (17th century terrace, woodwork). The castle also served as a setting for films such as The Last Duel (Ridley Scott, 2020) and Ever After (1998), strengthening its cultural influence.

The excavations and archives reveal an occupation from the year thousand, with a first castle anterior to the present visible parts. The well, dug in the Merovingian period, supplied the site until the 1950s. Today, the castle of Fénelon embodies both a preserved military heritage and a symbol of the Black Perigord, between medieval history and literary heritage.

Private property, it visits and preserves traces of its past uses: stables, cellars, and cellars of the sixteenth century. The three enclosures, including one protecting the courtyard, illustrate a sophisticated defensive strategy, where the assailants were exposed to the shots of the defenders. The chapel, integrated into a tower, and the drawbridge (initially accessible by a slope replaced in the seventeenth century by a double staircase) complete this painting of a fortress adapted to the times.

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