Construction of the first castle XIe siècle (≈ 1150)
Early fortress on the current site.
1435
Resumed by the French
Resumed by the French 1435 (≈ 1435)
End of English occupation during the Hundred Years War.
XVe siècle
Reconstruction of the house
Reconstruction of the house XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Medieval building on the cliff.
1617
Complete reconstruction
Complete reconstruction 1617 (≈ 1617)
After the Wars of Religion.
6 décembre 1948
First protection
First protection 6 décembre 1948 (≈ 1948)
Partial registration for historical monuments.
28 février 2025
Extended protection
Extended protection 28 février 2025 (≈ 2025)
Ranking of the entire castral site.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The following elements belonging to the Castral site of Aucors: the castle in full, with its courtyard, the walls of its enclosure, and the facades and roofs of its outbuilding, located on Parcel 818, and the floors and basements of Parcel 630, with the remains of the fortress which it houses, these elements being located on sector 033 C of the cadastre of the commune: inscription by decree of 28 February 2025
Key figures
Sénéchal de Poitou - Military commander
The castle was restored in 1435.
Famille Piraud - Current Owner
Owned the castle from an unspecified date.
Origin and history
The Château d'Aucors is a perigordin mansion located in the town of Beaussac, integrated since 2017 in Mareuil in Périgord (Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Built on a limestone cliff overlooking the Nizonne valley, it combines defensive elements (false, caves) and residential elements. Its origin dates back to the 11th century, but the present building dates mainly from the 15th and 17th centuries, after destructions related to the wars of Religion.
The site was occupied by the English during the Hundred Years War before being taken over in 1435 by the troops of the Seneshal of Poitou. A medieval house was rebuilt in the 15th century on the edge of a cliff, then completely redesigned in 1617. Today the castle consists of two bodies of house in square connected by a polygonal staircase tower, with scauguettes adorning the main facade. A well of 30 meters deep opens in the kitchen.
Ranked a historic monument since 1948, its protection was extended in 2025 to the entire castral site, including the remains of the early fortress, the enclosure walls and outbuildings. The property still belongs to the Piraud family. Its architecture reflects the transitions between the Middle Ages and the modern era, typical of perigord manors.
The strategic location of the castle, overlooking departmental road 87 and the Nizonne, made it a historic control point. Caves dug in the limestone cliff may have served as refuges or reserves. The building illustrates the adaptation of local elites to successive conflicts (the Hundred Years War, the Wars of Religion) by partial or total reconstructions.
The protected elements now include the entire castle, its courtyard, the enclosure walls, as well as the floors and basements of plot 630 housing the remains of the early fortress. This 2025 extension underscores the archaeological importance of the site, where almost six centuries of military and seigneurial history overlap.
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