BARBEZIEUX CASTLE

The scene of epic battles between the Lords of Aquitaine and the Counts of Angoulême, between Capetian kings and Plantagenets, the château welcomed Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Black Prince, Richelieu and Louvois. But it has been dismantled and the ramparts, which made Barbezieux a fortified town, largely destroyed. While ^4/5ths of the original structure has disappeared, a gateway, ^15th-century mullioned windows, machicolations, a ^12th-century tower and a surrounding wall remain. In 2015, renovation work transformed the château, which now houses a theater.