Beynac-et-Cazenac (; ) is a village located in the
Dordogne
Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...
department in southwestern France.
The medieval Château de Beynac is located in the commune.
The village is classified as one of ''
Les plus beaux villages de France
(, ) is an independent association created in 1982 for the promotion of the tourist appeal of small rural villages with a rich cultural heritage. As of 2024, it numbers 176 member villages (independent Communes of France, ''communes'' or part ...
'' (most beautiful villages of France).
Geography
The commune lies on the banks of the river
Dordogne
Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...
southwest of
Sarlat-la-Canéda
Sarlat-la-Canéda (; ), commonly known as Sarlat, is a commune in the southwestern French department of Dordogne, a part of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Sarlat and La Canéda were distinct towns until merged into one commune in March 1965.
Geography
Th ...
.
History
Historically the first mention of Beynac dates to 1115 when Maynard de Beynac made a gift to the sisters at
Fontevrault Abbey
The Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud or Fontevrault (in French: ''abbaye de Fontevraud'') was a monastery in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in the former French Duchy of Anjou. It was founded in 1101 by the itinerant preach ...
.
Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester ( – 4 August 1265), also known as Simon V de Montfort, was an English nobleman of French origin and a member of the English peerage, who led the baronial opposition to the rule of ...
seized the château at the end of the 12th century, but the people of Beynac recovered their château thanks to the intervention of Philippe Auguste in 1217. The château stayed in possession of the family de Beynac until 1753 when the de Beynac family became extinct in male line with Pierre last marquis of Beynac who married in 1727 Anne-Marie Boucher and had two daughters: Julie de Beynac, married to the marquis de Castelnau, and Claude-Marie de Beynac, married in 1761 to Christophe Marie de Beaumont du Repaire. The family de Beaumont du Repaire added "Beynac" to its name and took the courtesy title of "marquis de Beaumont-Beynac" One of the descendants sold the château in 1961.
In 1827, the communes of Beynac and Cazenac were merged under the current name.
Population
Beynac-et-Cazenac - View from South - 01.jpg, View from the South
Street in Beynac-et-Cazenac 04.jpg, A little street in the village
Beynac-et-Cazenac - Rue Costa del Port - 2.jpg, Another street
Castle of Beynac 13.jpg, The castle
Beynac-et-Cazenac - Château - 07.jpg, View of the castle in late afternoon
Beynac-et-Cazenac - Château - 05.jpg, Inside the castle – Périgord States' Hall
Beynac-et-Cazenac - View from the castle - 03.jpg, View of river Dordogne from the castle