An Action Packed 500 or 600 years: Welcome to the Middle Ages

 Welcome to the Middle Ages

The Middle Ages stretched from about 500 AD to 1500 AD and the Dordogne managed to pack a lot of fighting and building into those years.  We sort of covered the  Early Middle Ages in the last blog but now we move into the confusing but productive part -- the Middle and Late Middle Ages.We'll try not to numb you with dates or figures but hit the high/low points.

Churches, Chateaus and Bastides

In between fighting wars (we'll get back  to that) the denizens of the Dordogne/Perigord were fully consumed  building churches, chateaus and bastides only taking out time for a plague or an occasional  truce.  Everything really started around 1000 or so.  The area was considered the "outback" of France with a low population and a ruling class interested in filling it up with productive souls who could provide them with tithes, labor, trade and defense.  

It is in this early period that you see chateaus that are built predominantly for defense and less for charm or comfort.  It was when the initial building of the churches and cathedrals (that could take centuries to complete) were laid and the feudal system of lord and serfs ran strong.  Michael will try to provide a few examples of the early chateaus and churches.  Regrettably we were unable to capture any images of live serfs.

These first series of chateau photos are from the Chateau de Biron which was built in the XII century and is the largest castle in New Aquitaine. It has evolved over the centuries and was owned by the Gountat-Biron family for eight centuries. Biron is ranked among the 4 great Baronies of the Perigord alongside Beynac, Bourdeilles and Mareuil.

The next series of photos are of the exterior of the Chateau de Biron. The exterior was quite large and impressive. When Deirdre saw how steep the steps were up to the chateau, we decided to forgo exploring it further.

The next series of chateau photos are of the Chateau de Bridoire, located in Ribagnac, France on land originally occupied by a Roman settlement. During the 12th and 13th centuries the castle was linked to the Bridoire family. In 1560 Protestant forces seized the castle, suffered near destruction in 1568 but was rebuilt under King Henry IV, who visited the site in 1576. Like most chateaus, Bridoire suffered from neglect, was declared a historic monument in 1991 and was restored by heritage restorers starting in 2005.

The fortified wall surrounding the chateau.

Many of the chateaus had the sign of the cross displayed, as is seen on this tower.

The next two photos show the courtyard of the chateau with the well.

The number of copper pans displayed in the kitchen was quite impressive.

The dining room of the chateau.

The next three photos show the "family room" of the chateau. 

The saddles and riding boots were on prominent display in this hallway.

The stags head is surrounded by medieval prints.

Another stags head above the desk.

Many of the chateaus had their own private chapel, such as this one.

One of the chateau bedrooms.

Someone in the chateau was into taxidermy in a big way...

with an amazing display of a variety of fish, fowl and furry creatures.

Another bedroom with a four poster bed.

This chateau also had quite a collection of knight's armor.

The wooden roof supports for the chateau, which are clearly part of the restoration.

This chateau came with its own dragon.

This series of photos are of the Chateau de Bourdeilles, another of the 4 great baronies of Perigord. It was a medieval fortress from the XIII century and an elegant Renaissance chateau from the XVI century when Jacquette de Montbron had this sumptuous palace built which overlooks the Dronne River.

This chateau was a pleasant walk down from the village...

but was very well fortified and overlooked the Dronne River on the back side of the chateau.

On entering the outer courtyard of the chateau, this rather large crossbow was on display.

Some of the chateaus, such as this one, had formal gardens with topiary.

The village church is visible beyond the garden.

The state of the stone steps indicates quite a few footsteps ascended and descended these stairs.

This chateau also had a display of knight's plate armor and armaments. This plate armor was made of bronze, which predated the steel plate armor.

A medieval wood carving of Mary and the Christ child.

This sarcophagus contains the remains of Jeanne de Chabannes (1462-1503), who was a chamberlan of Charles VIII.

This "Mise Au Tombeau" is from the 16th century.

This chateau had many ornate wooden carved objects, such as this chest and the two other items below.

Most of the chateaus we visited also had very old tapestries, many of which still retained quite a bit of their color.

An imagined portrait of Simon IV de Montfort (1150-1218), leader of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars. The Latin at the bottom of the painting translates to:"The religion of Christ boasts of so great a defender/than whom none was greater in arms, nor in piety." The Cathars to whom brutality was shown during the crusade might not agree.

Dormition de la Vierge (Death/"Falling Asleep" of the Virgin Mary) surrounded by the 11 Apostles. A polychrome high-relief wood carving from the early 16th century.

The rooms, the tapestries, the paintings and even the ceilings were carefully restored.

This lectern with the carved eagle dates from the 17th century.

A bedroom of the chateau with a four poster bed.

This chateau had more tapestries and some of the finest furnishings, this is Diana the Huntress, or the Calydonian Boar from Greek mythology. The tapestry fits in with the chateau's martial and hunting heritage.

The furnishings in this bedroom were quite opulent and unique.

All of the photos of these items were in this one bedroom.

A view of the Dronne River from the chateau.

Another view from the chateau of this park, seemingly suspended above the river, on this limestone plateau.

The next series of photos are of Chateau de Puymartin, which was originally built in the XIII century, but was taken possession by the English in 1357. Rodolphe de Saint-Clar rebuilt the castle in 1450, and in the 16th century, Raymond de Saint-Clar bought it back and repelled the Protestants. Under the name of Capitaine de Puymartin, he took Sarlat back from the Huguenots. In the 19th century, Marquis Marc de Carbonnier de Marzac, grandfather of the current owner, restored the château in neo-Gothic style with his wife's dowry.

The exterior of the Chateau de Puymartin...

and its entrance to the courtyard.

As soon as you entered this private chapel was to the right...

and contained this wood model of the chateau.

A close-up of the altar of the chapel.

The entrance to the chateau with a statue of King Louis XIV above the door.

One of the unique features of this chateau was the ability see the attic and the beams supporting the slate roof. This was also the laundry area for the chateau.

This photo shows and old fashioned mangle and irons in the laundry area.

The next series of photos shows the dining room with portraits of ancestors adorning the walls.

The honor room of the chateau reserved for guests and spectacular tapestries in the next photo series.

This is a recreation of the wedding feast (including faux cake) of Marie-Therese Carbonnier de Marzac to Count Jacques de Montbron on July 11, 1920. The menu for the feast, consisting of seven courses and the wine served is on the menu. One of the wines (Chateau Haut-Brion) was a 31 year old Bordeaux.

This tapestry in the Grand Salle (Great Room) depicts scenes from the Trojan war. The 17th century tapestries were discovered in the attic during the restoration of the chateau.

This fireplace overmantle painting in the Grand Salle of Venus (Aphrodite) riding in a chariot with Eros (Cupid) followed by her three most famous lovers, Mars, Bacchus/Dionysos & Vulcan/Hephaestus with Chronos reclining. This is a classic style allegorical message with the moral of Love fades with time.

Despite the opulent furnishings, chandelier and mantlepiece clock and figurines, the chateau has a long lived-in presence since it has been in the same family for more than 500 years.

The coat of arms of the de Saint Clar family representing their noble heritage dating back to 1450.

The next photos show the bedroom and bed...

the bathroom...

and wash basins...

and the privy.

The following eight panels painted in grisaille (shades of gray) were painted by Phillipe Lemaire, commissioned by the abbé Henri de La Pleynie, then lord of Puymartin. They were contained in a cabinet mythologique (mythological studio) where the owner would retreat to meditate.

Each panel represents a different allegory from mythology.

These are all reproductions of the original.

The original panels have all been removed temporarily to conservation workshops.

This is Bellerophon and the Chimera representing virtue conquering vice.

This panel represent the Argus myth with the allegorical message of vigilance defeated by cunning, but even loss is transformed into eternal beauty/honor.

Altogether the panels represent a private Counter-Reformation era meditation on the vanitas tradition - love, glory and power undone by fate, jealousy or death but redeemed only through grief, transformation or virtue.

This was definitely one of the stranger rooms in the chateau. It is described as a themed immersive installation into "the fantastic and magical world of the the goddess Artemis and Greek mythology".  Artemis/Diana is the Greek goddess of the hunt, wild, wilderness and the moon.

This represents one of the stranger stories of the chateau. The ghostly figure represents the legend of White Lady Thérèse de Saint-Clar. According to the story her husband came home from the war to find Thérèse in flagrante delicto. Her husband imprisoned her in a room in the tower for 15 years until her death when she was walled into the room. She has said to be seen roaming the chateau in the evening.

These two photos are of the room...

and the bed of Lady Thérèse's imprisonment.

Château de Hautefort in Hautefort, France, began as a medieval fortress built by the viscounts of Limoges and later developed into a classical and baroque residence whose principal construction phase was completed around the end of the 17th century. Restoration and re‑furnishing were undertaken between 1929 and 1965 by Baron and Baroness de Bastard. From 1939 until 1947 the Service des Beaux‑Arts used the château to shelter museum collections from Alsace. On the night of 30–31 August 1968 a major fire gutted the central residential wing, leaving only heavily charred exterior walls. A national and local fundraising campaign enabled reconstruction under the direction of the baroness; facades, roofs, ceilings and decorative interiors were rebuilt and rooms restored using photographs as a guide, and the roof frame was replaced in reinforced concrete in 1969. The following photos will take you around and through the chateau with a few pictures of the town of Hautefort as well.

Looking up at the chateau from the parking lot.

The approach to the chateau was quite long with topiary on either side.

There was a convocation of Alpine sports cars outside the chateau when we arrived.

The formal terraces around the chateau display broderie parterres edged with box & yew.

The courtyard of the chateau was quite large with some of the Alpine owners milling about.

The Tapestry Room was the former antechamber of the "Emperor's Apartments. This tapestry is a scene from the Story of Abraham and is a 16th or 17th century Flemish tapestry. This and the other tapestries were saved from the chateau fire by a quick thinking caretaker who threw them out the window.

This scene of victory following a battle could be Joshua, given the biblical nature of the tapestries. It would take many years to create a tapestry such as this by the Flemish.

This next room has painted walls and an ornate fireplace screen.

A close up of the fireplace screen (used to keep drafts out when a fire wasn't required) shows it is fine stitch petit point on canvas with a garden scene from the period of Louis XIV.

One of the bedrooms with a four poster bed and a chest in front of the bed to hold linens and blankets for the bed.

Louis XIV's profile is above the fireplace and the gilt embossed leather panels on either side of the fireplace are created by a technique called cuir de Cordoue.

Another of the famous tapestries with very well preserved colors.

These two opposing sculptures were known as portrait sphinxes in which a sculpted female likeness is given a reclining lion's body. This was popular from 1730s - 1750s. Examples of this can also be seen at Versailles and Marly modeled on royal princesses and mistresses. 

These two paintings above fireplaces in the chateau are of Anne of Austria, wife of Louis XIII and mother of Louis XIV. They are reproductions of the original paintings by Claude Déruet.

Despite its appearance this is the bedroom of Monsieur.

The photos on this table show the chateau is still the home of the Baron and Baroness.

Some of the rooms, such as this one, present as a lived-in and livable chateau...

although of a much more opulent style with the chandelier...

and the ornate mantle piece clock.

This is Madame's bedroom...

complete with daybed.

This 18th century "Painting of Flore" (Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and spring) has her dressed in classic Rococo fashion (mid to late 1700s) is in Madame's bedroom.

The next three photos show that as part of the restoration the bathrooms were upgraded.

This room is used as a set for movie and television filming...

complete with a chandelier.

We also toured the chateau's kitchen...

which had these some interesting holograms. This one showing vegetables being prepared for the meal...

and this one with the waiter demanding to know when the food would be ready to be served.

This contemporary stained glass window in the chapel was created by master glassmaker Fabrice Courageux. The red symbolizes the royal red of the 17th century and the art piece is a symbol of rebirth of the chateau after the devastating 1968 fire.

The altar of the private chapel...

and the dome of the chapel. Note the Eye of Providence symbolizing divine oversight at the center of the dome.

While wandering the village of Hautefort, I came across this sculpture of a cat with its stylish scarf by Yvonne Clergerie.

This house in the village with its colorful flowers and shutters... 

and this house with its windmill and the chateau tower in the background caught my eye.

In my wanderings I also came across a garden with sculptures, all of whom were created by Yvonne Clergerie. Each sculpture has a plaque. This one is titled: Secret Garden and says: "Our innerworld is a much vaster, much more hidden world than we had previously believed."
Friedrich NIETZSCHE

This one was titled: Dialog with the Stars and says: "It seems that in rising above men, one leaves behind all earthly feelings, and that as one approaches ethereal realms, the soul acquires something of their unalterable purity." Jean-Jacques ROUSSEAU

The final plaque was titled: A Beautiful Encounter and says: "A few glimpsed phrases, a kind of intuition, seemingly from the depths of time, a premonition...has led him to choose the book. The child dreamed" and below this: "His breath of harmony had found an echo...He could hear the gentle music. The absurdity was no more...He felt grown." Yvonne CLERGERIE
All of these were translated from the French.

Chateau Puyguilhem was built in the 16th century and is part medieval (1514-1524) and part Renaissance (1525 - 1535) in the Loire Valley style. Mondot de la Marthonie, the owner, frequented the French court and was familiar with the Loire Valley chateaus.

The chateau from a distance.

The chimney cap stones reflect the Renaissance style.

Above the entrance door are a set of individual letters, each set in its own decorative motif: one in a braid pattern, another in a cordelière (knotted cord), another in a crown of thorns. What these letters mean has never been settled as to whether they spell out a moral text in Latin or a coded message meant only for initiates remains an open question.

This chateau had more stone carved figures on the building...

and above the upper windows than any of the other chateaus.

The next two tapestries show jungle scenes...

while this shows a gladed wood with deer and a stag, and...

this shows a pastoral scene.

This tapestry shows the saracen on his horse...

and this tapestry shows the saracen defeated and killed by the Crusader.

All of the above tapestries are Aubusson tapestries from the 16th century. In this tapestry Diana the goddess of the hunt is "blessing" the youth in this mythological departure for war.

Other than the tapestries, this chateau was very stark. This stone dome with its carvings and figures in the middle stood out in what was otherwise an unimpressive interior.

The age of the chateau is clearly evident from the wooden support beams.

This cast iron fireback was cast from a sand mold taken from a carved wooden pattern. It was set in the back of the fireplace to protect the masonry and radiate heat outward into the room.

The stone carvings above this fireplace depict the labors of Hercules.

The last chateau we visited was not in Dordogne, but was in the Loire Valley - Chateau de Chenonceau. The current chateau was The chateau built between 1514 to 1522 on the foundation of an old mill. Later 1556 to 1559 it was extended over the River Cher. The Chateau is an architectural mixture of late Gothic and early Renaissance. Chateau Chenonceau and its gardens are the second most visited chateau in France after Versailles.

The tree lined roadway leading to the chateau was designed to impress.

These sphinxes embellish the entranceway leading to the chateau.

A closer view of the chateau...

and a side view showing the water surrounding the chateau and the River Cher.

An even closer view of the chateau with people looking out from the upper balcony.

This structure was the keep (donjon) and primary guard tower of a fortified medieval castle. The medieval castle was torn down in the early 16th century by a royal tax collector named Thomas Bohier and his wife, Katherine Briçonnet to build the lavish chateau. 

This gilded bell tower and next to it the statue of Mary and the Christ Child stand out on the one side of the chateau.

This is a view of the Catherine de Medici garden. Catherine was the wife of Henry II and the mother of Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III in addition to being a cousin of Pope Clement VII. Catherine took over the chateau after King Henry II died and forced Diane de Potiers to exchange it for Chateau Chaumont. Diane was the mistress of Henry II.

This garden was opposite the garden of Catherine de Medici.

This 16th century flemish tapestry hanging in the Salle des Garde (Guard Room) shows a scene of a marriage proposal.

The chapel of this chateau was much larger and more ornate than any of the other chateaus we visited.

This modern looking stylized stained glass window of St. George slaying the dragon was created by Max Ingrand in 1954-1955 to replace a stained glass window destroyed in a bombing raid in 1944.

This painting is of Jesus preaching to Ferdinand and Isabella by Alonso Cano in the 17th century. All of the paintings below were from the 17th century as well.

This painting of The Virgin with the blue veil was by Giovanni-Batista Sassoferrato.

Virgin with Infant was by Bartolome Esteban Murillo.

Saint Anthony of Padua was also by Bartolome Esteban Murillo.

The Assumption was by Jean Jouvenet. Chenonceau had more paintings than any of the other chateaus we visited as well.

This marble bas relief of Mary and child, as well as the paintings above are visible expressions of the faith of the occupants of the chateau.

A portrait of Catherine de Medici.

This tapestry behind the bed in the Chambre de Diane de Poitiers is labeled Triomphe de la Charité (Triumph of Charity). It is a 16th century Flemish tapestry. The Latin at the top of the tapestry translates to: He who shows a strong heart amid perils receives, at his death, salvation as his reward. 

This sculpture of Diana the huntress seems to be a common theme throughout many of the chateaus.

This fireplace in the Chambre de Diane de Poitiers was sculpted by Jean Goujon of the celebrated Fontainebleau school. The alternating H & interlocking C with the crowns above represent Henri II and Catherine de Medici. When you combine the interlocking curves of the H and C, you get the letter D for Diane de Poitiers (a piece of period wit). Diane was Henri's favorite and was given Chenonceau by the king in 1547.

A view from a window of the portion of the chateau extending over the River Cher.

A series of genealogical/commemorative medals on those associated with Chenonceau. Starting at the top left is Marie Stuart (Mary Queen of Scots) 1542-1587 who was married to François II of France. On the top right is Charles IX 1550-1574, son of Henri II & Catherine de Medici,  in the middle is Henri III 1551-1589, the youngest son of Henri II & Catherine de Medici who was married to Louise de Lorraine 1553 -1561 on the bottom left. She is known as the "Reine Blanche" and was the widow of Henri III. Finally at the bottom right is Henri IV 1553-1610, the first Bourbon King.

This plaque in the gallery (shown below) commemorates the use of the gallery as a hospital during World War I.

The gallery was added by Catherine de Medici and placed on a bridge over the Cher River which was constructed under the direction of Diane de Poitiers. During the French Revolution the chateau was spared as this was the only bridge over the Cher River.

The kitchen displayed an impressive assortment of knives.

The size of the various kitchen rooms and the food on the tables...

reflects the opulence of the chateau.

Just the number of copper molds and copper pots point to the fantastic feasts that must have taken place at Chenonceau.

The enormous size of the oven,...

the pots, lids and even a scale to weigh out the ingredients,...

not to mention the rotating spits, which would be the envy of any chef today.

Another elaborate carved wood cabinet with inlaid ivory.

This painting is called The Three Graces by Jean Baptist Van Loo 1684-1745 of Aix en Provence.

Here is a painting of Diane the Huntress (which appears to be a favorite of Diane de Poitiers).

A portrait of Louis XIV.

A view of the chateau and the donjon from the fountain in the Catherine de Medici garden.

A side view of the chateau over the River Cher...

and showing the bridge across the water to the chateau.

On our way out we spotted this dovecote tower...

and this intriguing tree, which we managed to identify as a Monkey Puzzle Tree native to Chile and parts of Argentina.

Ah... Religion.  Hardly a Balm

So, just briefly here's the bottom line on fighting in the Dordogne in the Middle Ages.  It is all about land, governance and importantly religion.  First up are the Crusaders who returned from the Holy Land full of piss and vinegar and little else.  Thus the first big fighting was against the Muslims in trying to take the Holy Land. Many Templars and Hospitallers never returned to reclaim their lands and others were happy to try to take them.  But so was the church and the existing land owners.  At this point it was Catholic on Catholic fighting and all the participants were French.

Making this brief we will skip to the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England in 1152.  This was big.  It combined their territories which stretched from Scotland through the South of France.  They operated as separate entities but under unified royal rule.  But the seeds were laid for conflict... and more conflict.

Richard the Lionheart was the third son of Henry II and thus was not expected to rule as king -- and it seems like he would have preferred it that way.  However, his two elder brothers died before Henry and thus Richard was crowned in 1189.  It was said that he loved France and didn't even speak English and refused to go to England and ruled  from the Dordogne.  

He was called Richard the Lionheart because he liked to fight...a lot... and was good at it.  He took part in the 3rd Crusade (there were a bunch spanning more than a century) where he fought Saladin who was the ruler of Egypt and Syria.  When he "retired" from fighting and ruled as king he did so from the Castle at Beynac on the Dordogne.  Directly across the Dordogne, the French constructed Castelnaud and skirmishes ensued regularly.  During this period, prior to the Hundred Years War the French and English were not at open war but intermittent fighting over land and governance occurred across the Dordogne and the slightly larger area of Aquitaine which contained Dordogne.

Beynac Castle...

and across the river Castelnaud (both photos taken on a previous trip to the Dordogne).

And now for the big one.  The Hundred Years War ran from 1337 to 1453.  But it wasn't just fighting that decimated the population.  The Black Plague swept Europe from 1347 to 1351.  Estimates are that France lost 30-60% of its population.  

On a much smaller, yet weirder scale, the  English lost 1,000 soldiers in a vicious hail storm on Black Monday after Easter in 1360, near Chartres on an exposed plain.The loss of those soldiers represented more soldiers lost than since the beginning of the war. This war was so long that it ran through five French and 5 English kings.  And yet they still built, increased trade and established organized population centers.  

Well, that's a lot to absorb so we'll save the last part of the Middle Ages for the next blog.  Hope you had a good July 4th and that the rest of the summer is smooth.