The Perched Palace of Château d’Aucors: A French Cliff-Hanger Over Nizonne

The Château d’Aucors, a Périgord manor house, is a quaint resident of the commune of Beaussac, a picturesque corner of Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Positioned defiantly over the Nizonne valley, this château is constructed upon a limestone cliff horrified with caves. A remnant from the 11th century, it was seized by the English during the Hundred Years' War only to be reclaimed by the soldiers of the seneschal of Poitou in 1435. Post the war, a grand manor house was erected in the 15th century along the cliff-edge.

With the Wars of Religion leaving the building ruins, it was refurbished in 1617. The French government listed it as a monument historique on the 6th of December, 1948. The Château d’Aucors today remains under the stewardship of the Piraud family, featuring an intriguing architecture: two squared logis and a polygonal stair tower. The main façade flaunts two bartizans or échauguettes. Remaining a remnant of its past, a well can be found in the kitchen, stretching a staggering 30 metres deep.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons