Château Cramirat (or de Cramirat) is a 12th-century Templar castle in the village of Sergeac, Dordogne (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), southwest France.[1][2] A French national historic monument,[3] the château is situated in the heart of the Vézère river valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site[4] known as the Valley of Mankind.[5]
| Château Cramirat | |
|---|---|
Château de Cramirat | |
 Château Cramirat | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | French Historical Monument |
| Architectural style | Templar commandery and seat of Grand Master |
| Location | 45°00′09″N 1°06′23″E / 45.00257°N 1.10630°E |
| Town or city | Sergeac, Dordogne |
| Country | France |
| Construction started | c. 1220 |
| Website | |
| chateau-cramirat | |
History edit
The castle was built c. 1220[6][7] by the Order of the Knights Templar. It served as the order's central commandery in the region[8][circular reference] and was the home of the grand master[9][10] of the order in Périgord Noir (Sarladais)[10][11] until the order was purged in 1307. In 1316, the commander of Sergeac, Guillaume de Crémirac, reinstituted the local community around the area and renamed the castle "Château de Crémirac".[6][7]
In the Middle Ages, the castle was a key administrative and cultural center of the area, and was one of the main departure points on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, later becoming a pilgrim hospice.
Long before the Templars, the site was a thriving prehistoric settlement, evidenced by the rich concentration of archeological Cro-Magnon rock shelters spread around the area. The wealth of discoveries found in the area suggests exceptionally advanced paleolithic human activity dating back to c. 30,000 BC.
The château was affected by the 16th-century French Wars of Religion, as was the church nearby; both were fortified.[12]
In the late 19th century and up until the 1970s, the place served as an important community center for the local society.
Today, the château is privately owned.[13]
Location edit
The Château Cramirat is surrounded by landmark sites of immense historical magnitude, such as Castel Merle, Roque Saint-Christophe, the Lascaux caves, and the Abri de la Madeleine, offering insight into the evolution of civilization through ancient cave paintings, figurines, and rock shelters.
The estate itself is situated near an 11th-century church called Église Saint-Pantaléon[9][14] (formerly, Église Saint Marie) that is recognized as a Templar church, and a 16th-century stone cross, the Croix des Templiers[15][16] that marks one of the routes on the Camino pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.
Architecture edit
The château retains the original Romanesque two-story structure, with a rounded machicolated tower overlooking a fortified courtyard.
Gallery edit
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Western entrance and tower -
Detail, Croix de Templier -
Map of the Valley of Mankind, marking the location of the chateau along the Vezere river -
16th-century stone cross, called Croix des Templiers, at the entrance to Sergeac, marking the Camino pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela -
The chateau's main stairwell spirals up three stories high, built of a self-supporting staircase inside the tower -
11th-century Église Saint-Pantaléon adjacent to the northern facade of the chateau
References edit
- ^ "Manoir". Ministère de la Culture, POP: la plateforme ouverte du patrimoine. Archived from the original on 2019-05-05.
- ^ "Maisons et Commanderies de l'Ordre du Temple en France, Commanderies par département". Templiers. Archived from the original on 2006-11-16.
- ^ "Manoir à Sergeac". Monumentum. Archived from the original on 2013-09-22.
- ^ "Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley". UNESCO World Heritage. Archived from the original on 2005-10-30.
- ^ "Our 3 favourites in the fascinating prehistoric world of Nouvelle-Aquitaine!". Nouvelle-Aquitaine Tourisme. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24.
- ^ a b Castanet, René. Les Perles de Sergeac en Périgord Noir. Madame Le Maire. pp. 10, 61–68.
- ^ a b Sergeac, Manoir de Cramirat. Architecture et Patrimoine, Agence Goutal.
- ^ "Liste des commanderies templières en Aquitaine".
- ^ a b "Saint-Pantaléon Church in Sergeac". Monumentum. Archived from the original on 2013-09-22.
- ^ a b "Commanderie des Templiers - Sergeac, Périgord, FRA - Legacy of Medieval Spiritual Warriors on Waymarking.com". Waymarking.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-13.
- ^ "Commanderie des templiers Commune de Sergeac". Périgord Centerblog. Archived from the original on 2021-08-13.
- ^ "Eglise Saint-Pantaléon". Ministère de la Culture, POP: la plateforme ouverte du patrimoine. Archived from the original on 2019-05-05.
- ^ "Château Cramirat". Château Cramirat. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14.
- ^ "Études réalisées sur les Templiers, Sergeac et son église". Templiers. Archived from the original on 2017-05-07.
- ^ "Croix de carrefour". Ministère de la Culture, POP: la plateforme ouverte du patrimoine. Archived from the original on 2019-05-05.
- ^ "Croix de carrefour de Sergeac en Dordogne". Musee du Patrimoine de France. Archived from the original on 2021-08-13.