Maison forte de Reignac, Fortified castle in Tursac, France

The Maison forte de Reignac is a castle built into a limestone cliff, with multiple rooms carved directly into the rock and connected by passageways. The interior chambers are furnished and show how inhabitants once used the space.

The site is first mentioned in 1386 as Rinhacum, during the Hundred Years' War, when the rock shelters were cleared and refitted as a defended dwelling. The facade was raised in the 14th century, and in 1508 windows were cut into it, the state still visible today. The house was lived in until 1931 and its facades and roofs were listed as monuments historiques on 16 October 1964.

The name Reignac comes from Rénius, the site's owner, recorded as Rinhacum in 1386. The lord of the house judged minor offences on his land, while high and low justice belonged to the lord of La Roque Saint-Christophe, two kilometres away. Jaquemet de Reignac is remembered as its cruellest lord.

This location welcomes visitors daily from February through December with guided tours and information panels in eight languages. Knowledgeable guides help you understand the underground rooms and how they were originally used.

The right-hand arched door on the terrace still carries a Latin inscription, INMOTA MANEBIT 1667, meaning "she will remain unchanged". It was cut after the two doors and the four-metre rampart were built, marking a later remodelling of the defences.