Château d’Agonac

The Château d’Agonac is a former castle, converted into a château, in the commune of Agonac in the Dordogne département of France.

Over the course of its thousand-year history, the castle has been destroyed, experienced multiple rebuilds and revisions, and besieged many times. Today, it is a private residence in the beautiful Beauronne Valley.

History of Château d’Agonac

Château d’Agonac  is located on a cliff edge and overlooks the beautiful Beauronne Valley.

The early fort, Castrum Agoniacum, residence of the Bishops of Périgueux, was erected around 980 by Bishop Frotaire de Gourdon to defend Périgueux from the Normans.

The oldest parts of the present château are the remains of the enceinte – the main defensive line of walls and towers – and the keep – the innermost fortified tower – which date from the 12th century, and the chapel from the 13th. The other buildings were modified between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Indeed, the Napoleonic land register of 1843 indicates the presence of a circular tower at the end of the castle site, probably that of the grand hotel of Dome, which no longer exists.

Several fortified houses were built in the episcopal castrum (castle) between the 12th and 14th centuries, in particular the noble houses of Chabans and Le Repaire, the fortified houses of Chamberlhac de Flamenc (Dome) and Montardit.

The castle was regularly besieged, altered, and integrated into other corps de Logis.

In 1791, the old castle was sold as national property. Only part of the 12th century main tower remains of the fortified castle, rectangular in plan and built in freestone, as well as a room with two vaulted barrel vaults from the early 13th century, which was likely the castle chapel.

Château d’Agonac Today

Today, the château is an attraction for holidaymakers staying in the region. It is a private residence, so cannot be entered, but is nonetheless in a scenic position, overlooking the picturesque Beauronne Valley, which is well worth a visit in itself.

Nearby, the castle of Château-L’Eveque is a popular attraction. Built in the 14th century by the bishop of Périgueux, and partly destroyed and restored in the 15h and 16th centuries, today the park and castle are open to visitors.

Getting to Château d’Agonac

From the centre of Périgueux, The château is reachable in around 20 minutes by car, via the D3 road. There’s also a train – the TER – which takes around 40 minutes and departs from Périgueux. For the intrepid explorer, the château and the surrounding area is reachable in around 3 hours by foot.