Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Eymet, also known as Château de la Bastide, is a fortified building located in the commune of Eymet, Dordogne (New Aquitaine). Built in the 13th century before the foundation of the bastide in 1270 by Alphonse de Poitiers, it was integrated into the urban enclosure. Its north and west sides, facing outwards, are protected by a wall and a defensive door, while the east and south facades, oriented towards the interior of the city, house reconstructed in the nineteenth century and a massive tower called the Monsignor Tower.

In 1377 Bertrand Du Guesclin's troops took over the English castle, marking a key episode in his military history. In the 19th century, the house was completely renovated, partially erasing its medieval appearance. Since 1963, some of the sites have been dedicated to a museum, and the whole (buildings, ground, basement, as well as a section of the wall of the western enclosure) was inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 30 December 1994. The castle today belongs to the town of Eymet.

Architecturally, the site combines medieval defensive elements (scauguuette, bretech, square dungeon) and 19th century additions, such as the oriental home. The proximity of the Dropt (within 100 metres) and its position on the northwest edge of the Bastide underscore its historic strategic role. The castle thus illustrates the evolution of a fortress in a seigneurial residence, then in a cultural place.

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