Château de Fratteau, Castle near Neuvic, France
The Château de Fratteau is a medieval castle set on a steep cliff in the countryside near Neuvic, in the Dordogne. The site includes a main house with old fireplaces, an arched porch, a square tower on the northern side, and a small underground tunnel built into the hillside.
The castle was built in the 12th or 13th century by the noble Frastel family on a raised mound that once served as a fortification, and passed through the hands of several families, including the Grimoard and the Bertin, over the following centuries. During the French Revolution, the town of Neuvic seized the property, and parts of the structure were dismantled before Daniel Piron began restoring it in the 1980s.
The Château de Fratteau houses a recreated pottery workshop where artisans work using techniques that have been passed down in the Périgord for generations. Visitors can watch the potters at work and sometimes try making a piece themselves.
The Château de Fratteau is a private site and can only be visited with the owners' permission, opening mainly on weekends and during heritage days. Sturdy shoes are recommended, as the grounds include stone steps, uneven paths, and a steep section along the cliff face.
Beneath the Château de Fratteau there is an underground escape tunnel known as a cluzeau, said to be the only one of its kind in the entire Périgord region. This narrow passage carved into the rock was originally meant to give the castle's occupants a hidden way out in times of danger.
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