Excideuil in the Dordogne

The life of a knight in your own medieval castle

There are not many private dwellings that transport you back to the 12th century like this one does.

Back in the Middle Ages, in the heyday of the Knights Templar, when this holy order of 'Warrior Monks' established a powerful supranational military and banking entity across Europe (beholding to no one except the Pope), there were around 15,000 Templar houses or command posts under their control. This particular Templar Commandery (military command post) in the small medieval town of Excideuil, in the 'Perigord Vert' region of southwestern France, is now a beautifully furnished private dwelling that remains a stunning example of Templar military architecture.

The Templar Knights were renowned as a ferocious, heavily armed fighting force whose horses were also trained in combat to kick and bite their adversary. In order to respond quickly to crisis, the Templar Knights took their horses with them into their bedrooms via a wide spiral stone staircase in the middle of the house, which allowed them to quickly prepare themselves for battle, like modern day firemen sliding down a pole.

Each spacious room in this 4 story house has a massive stone fireplace, exposed beams, and thick stone walls. The ground floor kitchen/dining room area gives out onto a walled in back yard, where the corner tower of the house juts out over a garden. There is a garage as well as 3 bedrooms, a large living room, and 3 bathrooms. Two small tower rooms serve as bedroom or office areas. At the bottom of the spiral staircase, there is what appears to be the opening to a (now walled up) tunnel that allowed for the knights to escape from the house on horseback if necessary.

The town of Excideuil itself is a medieval jewel that is in the process of being upgraded and modernized as people buy up the old properties and restore them to their original aesthetic. The imposing medieval castle in the town overlooks a green valley and provided protection to the town back in the days when the townsfolk could not rely on anyone but themselves for protection.

Throughout the Perigord region, there are numerous examples of medieval architecture that speak volumes about the importance of this particular region in France in the period preceding the Renaissance. Yet this is also the region renowned for the traces of pre-historic man with numerous examples of cave dwellings and primitive wall paintings, the most famous being those of Lascaux.

Due to the fact that humans have lived in this region for thousands of years, there is a tremendous variety of things to see and do in the surroundings. The Perigord Vert is famous for its medieval villages, black truffles, and foie gras. Hiking trails meander through rolling green hills, replete with stone hamlets and artesian springs (some tied to age old legends). You can also rent canoes and float by troglodyte cave dwellings in the cliffs overlooking La Loue River, or the Dordogne river farther south, where you can visit the castle of the famous black American jazz singer/dancer Josephine Baker or any number of fortified medieval castles. The charming and stunning town of Sarlat is not far from Excideuil either, as is the town of Brantôme, known as the Venice of the Dordogne.

Other neighboring attractions (an hour's drive or less) include the world famous prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux and Rouffignac, the Trompe l'Oeil museum of Perigeux, the Truffle Museum in Sorge, the fortified chateau of Hautefort and last, but certainly not least, the great wines of Bordeaux. Open air markets abound in the towns throughout the region. And of course, you can buy the best black truffles in the world, that is to say, if you are keen on spending a fortune on fungus.

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"... this time, I was going until 1 A.M., loading up my car with the following: 2 very large rectangular mirror frames, a lovely porcelain corner sink with its original faucet, an oak cabinet door, a small cheese cabinet door with its wooden grill, more carved marble mantle pieces, a large cast iron skillet, and bits and pieces of carved wood: from molding to cornices."

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