Montferrand du Perigord, Dordogne village

Visit Montferrand du Perigord

Montferrand du Perigord is in the southern section of the Dordogne near to Monpazier.

Montferrand du Perigord is an attractive medieval village located in the rolling hills of the countryside of the Dordogne in south west France.

Explore Montferrand du Perigord

Dordogne This Way comment: There is not a lot to see in the village but it is very pretty and we are drawn regularly to visit and have a walk through its quiet streets.

If you arrive at the bottom of the village the road winds uphill towards the castle at the top. At the top you have some lovely views along the Couze valley.

As you walk uphill through the village you pass a lot of beautiful 16 and 17th century buildings with roofs and windows of all shapes and sizes and all built in the beautiful golden stone commonly found throughout the Dordogne.

On your right is the medieval halle which was built in the 16th century and is based, unusually, on stone pillars. Usually, the structure is made entirely of wood.

The hall is used year round for various events including flea markets, called vide-greniers in French, and village festivals. Look for the square pillar where the stocks were fixed and used to punish offenders in medieval times.

There are two notable buildings of the Renaissance in the village. A 17th century house which has a beautiful covered balcony the entire length of the house. The other has a wonderful square pigeonnier which is built of stone like the rest of the house but the top level is half-timbered.

The 12th century castle, the Chateau of Montferrand is situated above the village and its 16th century tower provides a breathtaking view of the village and surrounding countryside. The chateau is private though in 2019 it was used as the location for part of the filming of 'Draculi and Gandolfi', a French television production.

A short distance from the village is the church of St Christoph. This was abandoned when the new church was built in the village, but fortunately was not destroyed. The church is tiny but the interior has incredible frescoes - some of the best in the region. They were covered over in the 15th century and it was not until 1980 when the council decided to renovate the interior and reveal the stone they found these amazing frescoes.

The paintings were made from the 12 to the 16th century and feature Christ Pantocrator (Christ in majesty as opposed to in sufferance or as a child) surrounded by various scenes including the bull of Saint Luke and the lion of Saint Mark and a scene representing the miracle of Saint Leonard.

Places to visit nearby

Montferrand du Perigord is 10km from Beaumont in the Dordogne and even closer to the bastides of Molieres and Monpazier. Monpazier is classed amongst the most beautiful villages of France and is one of our favourites.

Montferrand is also close to Saint Avit Senieur with its impressive abbey.