Château de Beynac

The Château de Beynac is a castle situated in the commune of Beynac-et-Cazenac, in the Dordogne département of France.

This Middle Ages construction, with its austere appearance, is perched on top of a limestone cliff, dominating the town and the north bank of the Dordogne.

The oldest part of the castle is a large, square Romanesque keep with vertical sides and few openings, held together with attached watch towers and equipped with a narrow spiral staircase terminating on a crenellated terrace.

The Salle des États (States' Hall) has a Renaissance sculptured fireplace and leads into a small oratory entirely covered with 15th century frescoes, included a Pietà, a Saint Christopher, and a Last Supper in which Saint Martial (first bishop of Limoges) is the maître d'hôtel.

The Dordogne region was the theatre of numerous struggles for influence, rivalries and occasionally battles between the English and French supporters.