Château de Caussade

Château de Caussade is a medieval fortress perched on a plateau overlooking the Isle Valley and bordering the Lanmary Forest. Four projecting square towers and a dry moat define its defensive structure, which survives largely intact from the medieval period.

The fortress was built in the early 1100s under Guillaume de Calzado to control the strategic trade route between Limoges and Périgueux. It passed through many noble families over the centuries as regional power shifted.

The library once held works by major French playwrights and authors, reflecting the intellectual life of the region in the 1700s. Visitors today can sense how this fortress was more than just military architecture.

The castle remains in private hands and visitors cannot enter the interior. However, you can walk the Caussade trail to see the exterior and learn about its architecture and defensive features.

During World War I, the fortress held German officers as prisoners, and later in World War II it became a gathering place for resistance fighters. This dramatic shift in use reveals how the stone walls sheltered very different causes across two wars.

Location: Trélissac

GPS coordinates: 45.23203,0.80533

Latest update: December 9, 2025 12:20