Sights in Couze-et-Saint-Front — 3 of Our Favourites

the exterior of the Chateau de Lanquais, near Couze-et-Saint-Front

1. Chateau de Lanquais, Couze-et-Saint-Front

Self-titled as the "Unfinished Louvre in Périgord", this château combines medieval fortifications with an incomplete Renaissance palace.

Built by the architects who designed the Louvre, the catholic-style palace was apparently attacked by Protestants during construction, leaving its façade badly damaged. The building works were never completed. Two of its impressive rooms have been converted into bedrooms where guests can stay.

The construction of the castle took place over very different periods, which explains the juxtaposition of a medieval castle and the beginning of a Renaissance palace in the Italian style.

In front of the facade of the courtyard of the castle, you can see the difference between the two periods:

To the right, a medieval castle built in the 12th century and a tower staircase from the 15th century
Then on the left, a Renaissance castle built in the 16th century (the building recalls the Lescot wing in the Louvre)
In the 19th century, utility buildings were added

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someone making paper by hand in Couse-et-Saint-Front, Dordogne

2. Moulin de la Rouzique Papermaking Mill & Museum, Couze-et-Saint-Front

In the paper-making village of Couze-et-Saint-Front, this traditional mill still makes paper by hand.

It houses a small museum on the history of paper-making and watermarks and offers organised tours and workshops on paper-making. The guide will tell you the history and show you the steps in the manufacture of paper through the various rooms and various mechanisms of the mill (models, paddle wheel, cylinder machine ... ). Then it's your turn, just press the paddle wheel and learn a skill by making your own paper!

There is a lovely shop selling their paper products and handmade products from recycled paper.

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Chapelle Saint Front de Colubri, Couze-et-Saint-Front

3. Chapelle Saint Front de Colubri, Lalinde

Although it is believed to have dated back to the eighth century, Father Goustat wrote in 1883 that this building could date back to VIII, XI or even the fourteenth century. It has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt in part or in whole over the years.

Situated across the Dordogne river from Lalinde, the chapel offers views down to the Dordogne and over the surrounding countryside as it is situated on a small cliff face. The chapel is dedicated to Saint Front who is said to have rid the area of a fearful dragon, or serpent, hence the name, Chapelle Saint Front de Colubri, colubri meaning serpent in Latin. Said to be a 'man-eater' the creature had the body of a snake, a dragon's head and a huge tail. It was thrown from the top of the cliff by Saint Front and the chapel was then erected on the site in his memory.