Photo : Paternel 1 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Château des Rois Ducs
The Château des Rois Ducs at Sauveterre-la-Lémance, in the Lot-et-Garonne, is the finest example of castle architecture from the reign of Edward II in Gascony. It is a small-scale summary of the great Welsh fortresses built by the English crown at the end of the 13th century. Its less elaborate overall structure, however, shows that Sauveterre was only one pawn among many on the royal chessboard, and that it was designed by local architects without the master builders then developing Welsh architecture.
This takes nothing away from the interest of its arrow slits, directly inspired by those of the fortifications across the Channel. The castle was burned in 1789. Two hundred years of neglect gave way to twenty years of careful, authentic restoration. Today visitors can rediscover the atmosphere of the Middle Ages and visit its museum, fine vaulted rooms, wall-walk and medieval garden.
