Mareuil-en-Perigord travel guide

Visit Mareuil-en-Perigord (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France)

Mareuil-en-Perigord, known locally as Mareuil-sur-Belle is situated between Brantome in the Dordogne and Angouleme in the Charente department. Mareuil-en-Perigord is in the north of the Dordogne department in the area known as the Perigord Vert, or Green Perigord.

Explore Mareuil-en-Perigord

France This Way review: Mareuil-en-Perigord is a sleepy village with a small and quite rundown castle. It is quite unimpressive compared to some of the major castles of the Dordogne but the north of the Dordogne department has fewer sites and you may wish to visit if you are holidaying in this area.

Mareuil was one of the original four baronies of Perigord along with Biron, Beynac and Bourdeilles. Mareuil is the only one built on flat land rather than a hilltop and its defences relied on a moat that surrounded the castle.

Mareuil is known locally as Mareuil-sur-Belle because the stream, the Ruisseau La Belle runs through the village. Indeed the Ruisseau La Belle fed the moat that once surrounded the castle.

The commune was merged with eight other communes to become Mareuil-en-Perigord. Mareuil is the largest village in this grouping.

There are two churches in Mareuil, the Romanesque church of Saint-Pardoux which was built in the 12th century and altered in the 15th and the church of Saint Lawrence which was also built in the 12th century. Only the Romanesque belltower and cupola remain from this time and the church was rebuilt in Gothic style.

Market day in Mareuil is Tuesday morning and is a good time to visit and see the town more animated.

The main reason for visiting Mareuil is its castle. The Chateau de Mareuil was built in the 15th century on the site of a previous stronghold that was destroyed in the Hundred Years War.

The barons of Mareuil held the castle from the 11th to the 16th century and then the Talleyrand family, counts of Perigord took over the castle until the 19th century.

The castle can be visited and its Gothic chapel is on display as well as a room dedicated to the First French Empire and including furniture and items from two of Napoleons closest friends. One of these, Marshal Lannes is the ancestor of the current owner.

The castle also has a number of activities for children related to the middle ages and the skills a knight would have needed at the time including sword fighting, archery and creating your own coat of arms.

The castle is open from the begining of June to the middle of September but closed at lunchtime and on Sundays and also closed during the morning in September.

Mareuil was the birthplace of Arnaut de Mareuil, a famous 12th century troubadour. Twenty-five of his songs still exist including six with music. He entertained the courts of Toulouse, Béziers and Montpellier.

Attractions nearby

One of our favourite villages in the Dordogne is nearby. The beautiful village of Brantome sits in a bend of the Dronne river and is dominated by the imposing Abbey of Brantome.

Bourdeilles was another of the four baronies of Perigord and is a pretty village to visit. The Chateau de Bourdeilles has a medieval part and a Renaissance part as well as a pretty garden.

Explore elsewhere in the Perigord Vert. You can find more travel ideas in the Dordogne guide and the Aquitaine guide.