Beynac-et-Cazenac

Beynac- et- Cazenac is a commune with 542 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) in the Dordogne in the Aquitaine region. The community on the Dordogne in the canton of Sarlat- la -Caneda in the arrondissement of Sarlat- la -Caneda. It is classified as one of the plus beaux villages de France ( most beautiful villages in France ).

History

Beynac- et- Cazenac spreads on the edge of the river on the rocky terraces below a 150 m high cliff. At this place there was already in the Bronze Age cave dwellings. When the four baronies of Périgord were founded, Beynac was one of them, along with Biron, Bourdailles and Mareuil. The first Seigneur of Beynac was in 1115 " on record ". Towering above the village the castle dates back to the 12th century. The Hundred Years' War Beynac was on the side of the French, and in 1370 the English were finally driven.

In the shelter of the ramparts, various " residential district " formed; in one of them mainly settled Weber. The port contributed to the economic recovery; He was an important anchorage for the trade and transport shipping. In the aftermath of the French Revolution until the middle of the 19th century, won regional branches of industry such as fishing, farming and house building increasingly important. 1827, 5 km away hamlet Cazenac was incorporated.

Attractions

• Beynac Castle

Sons and daughters of the town

• Philippe Rossillon (1931-1997), mayor of 1965 until 1984.