Villandraut Castle
The Château de Villandraut is a ruined castle in the commune of Villandraut in the Gironde département of France.
The castle was built by Bertrand de Goth when he was elected Pope under the name of Clement V.
Born in Villandraut, he maintained throughout his life a special affection for his region of origin. This sumptuous castle was destined to serve as his residence during his stays in Guyenne (Aquitaine).
The castle has been classified since 1886 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.
Château de Villandraut was constructed from years 1305 - 1312.
The south tower of the castle was destroyed when Leaguers took refuge inside and the army fired on the castle with 1260 cannons to push them to a surrender.
The castle is currently owned by Norbert Fradin, a Bordeaux estate developer.
During excavations of the castle, many things were revealed about its construction including disturbed trenches west of the main bridge in the south area.
Other excavations found stone beneath the ground serving as the base for a staircase.
Wikipedia
