Lastours Castle

A major center of Limousin history and a powerful chatellenie in the Middle Ages, the ruins of the Lastours fortified castle in Limousin have been the site of a work of volunteers since the creation of an association in 1979, ASPEL-Les amis de Lastours.

The place is located 25 km southwest of Limoges in Haute-Vienne, at the edge of the Dordogne.

The site bears witness to 10,000 years of history through several eras of occupation since the Neolithic. Three feudal mounds existed until the 12th century and were replaced by the stone castle, which evolved until the 16th century, with its Romanesque keep, six corner towers connected by high curtains, important main buildings. , deep ditches and a large farmyard.

The ruins of the fortress, abandoned at the end of the 18th century, still testify to the past splendor of the building and the importance of the Lastours family.

Since 1979, more than 400 volunteers have taken turns to highlight these remains and their rehabilitation: brush cutting, cleaning, surveys, excavations, clearing, putting out of water and consolidation. Today, maintenance and follow-up work in masonry continues, but the ruins of Lastours are above all the setting for numerous activities (visits and camps, lively day and night, reception of groups, in particular schools, medieval festivals?) .