LIMOGES, Limousin, Address available on request

A medieval castle with its keep, ramparts and 2 hectares of terraced grounds, overlooking a village and the Tardoire valley, 35 minutes south-west of Limoges. A bird's eye view of the ancient ramparts, in the shape of a polygon, reveals the double enclosure and the monumental dimensions of the impressive castle built on the site of earlier strongholds towards the middle of the 11th century. A number of medieval features have survived to the present day, in particular the corner tower of the main building and the keep in the centre of the courtyard, which rises to a height of 25 m and can be sighted from a distance of several kilometres. In the 17th century, a manor house was added as an extension to the medieval dwelling, probably on its former foundations, providing the estate with a pleasant residence at a human scale. 
Outbuildings and the remains of a castle chapel, set in terraced grounds and enclosed by circular ramparts, complete the impressive complex of buildings standing over the surrounding area. 
The entire keep and the corner tower are classified as national historical monuments. The facades and roofs of the medieval dwelling adjoining the tower, as well as those of the 17th-century building, are also listed. The sober facades of the various buildings are mostly of rough-hewn stone, those of the 17th-century dwelling of rendered stone, with straight or arched openings, evenly spaced or not, featuring small-paned glass doors, windows and transoms. Shutters protect all the openings, those of the most recent building are painted white. The roofs, with two or four pitches, are of flat or monk-and-nun tiles.