Bretenoux

Bretenoux

At the confluence of the Cère and the Dordogne, in the north of the Lot, Bretenoux is a seigneurial bastide founded by the barons of Castelnau, whose enormous fortress of Castelnau-Bretenoux still dominates the valley from the neighbouring commune of Prudhomat. The place existed as early as 866 as a simple "villa"; it grew in importance when Guérin de Castelnau created there in 1277 the "Villa franca ad Orlindam", Villefranche-d'Orlinde, to which he granted a charter fixing the rights of the lord and the obligations of the inhabitants. Four consuls elected for one year administered the bastide. The place des Consuls, square in shape, surrounded by houses with arcades and timber framing, remains its heart, and the town hall occupies the façade of the former consuls' house. The church of Sainte-Catherine and the regular line of the streets still allow the original plan to be read.

Getting there : Free access to the village; the place des Consuls is discovered on foot. The château de Castelnau-Bretenoux, at Prudhomat, can be visited under its own conditions.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound