Montpeyroux, Dordogne village

Visit Montpeyroux

Montpeyroux is a small village which is home to the attractive chateau of Montpeyroux which was the home of Bertrand de Montaigne, the younger brother of Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, a famous French writer and humanist.

His own castle is a much more magnificent affair and can be seen in the neighbouring village of Saint Michel de Montaigne.

Explore Montpeyroux

The main sight in the village is the Chateau of Montpeyroux. It is private and can't be visited but non the less you can get a good view of it from the road. The chateau was built in the 12 and 13th century and whilst much more modest than that of Michel de Montaigne it is charming with its round towers and golden colour. It also has a lot of attractive round and arched windows.

Behind the castle is an attractive 12th century Romanesque church with a graveyard which is quite unusual in France in that it its stone gravestones are laid out in an area of grass in the style of an English graveyard. Most graveyards in the area are totally paved or gravelled and very formal. Take a look at the lovely iron crosses that decorate many of the graves.

The inside of the church is very elegant with its semi-circular arches and sculpted modillions.

Opposite the church and chateau is an ancient park which is classified in France. It has existed since the 13th century and has lots of lovely large old trees.

Also to see in the village is the 'grange dimiere' built in 1306. This belonged to the bishops of Bordeaux and was used to store the portion of the harvest that the peasants had to give to the clergy. One tenth of the harvest had to be given to the clergy and this was called 'la dime'. After the revolution this payment was abolished and the barn became a bakery.

Le Lac de Gurson is a large nearby lake which in the summer is opened up for swimming and has lifeguards, pedalos and a nice sandy beach. It also has a slide which shoots through the woods and down into the lake - it is over a 100m long! Perfect for a lazy day with the children.

Places to visit near to Montpeyroux

It is worth going to visit Saint Michel de Montaigne and whilst the chateau is private the tower which includes the library of Michel de Montaigne where he wrote his famous essays.

Nearby Villefranche de Lonchat is a pleasant bastide village with a 14th century Gothic church on its main square.

One of our favourite gardens in the Dordogne, the Jardins de Sardy is nearby and has a beautiful pond with fountains at the heart of its garden.