Beynac-et-Cazenac

Beynac-et-Cazenac
Beynac and its château by the Dordogne River Beynac and its château by the Dordogne River
Coat of arms of Beynac-et-Cazenac Coat of arms
Beynac-et-Cazenac
Location within Aquitaine region Beynac-et-Cazenac
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes
Department	Dordogne
Arrondissement	Sarlat-la-Canéda
Canton	Sarlat-la-Canéda
Intercommunality	Périgord Noir
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Alain Passerieux
Area1	12.74 km2 (4.92 sq mi)
Population (2008)2	514
• Density	40/km2 (100/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	24040 / 24220
Elevation	53–288 m (174–945 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Beynac-et-Cazenac is a commune in the Dordogne department in southwestern France.

The medieval Château de Beynac is located in the commune.

The village is classified as one of Les plus beaux villages de France (most beautiful villages of France).

Geography

The commune lies on the banks of the Dordogne River 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Sarlat-la-Canéda.

File:Dordogne à Beynac.jpg

The Dordogne River at Beynac

History

Historically the first mention of Beynac dates to 1115 when Maynard de Beynac made a gift to the sisters at Fontevrault Abbey. Simon de Montfort seized the château at the end of the 12th century, but the people of Beynac recovered their château thanks to the intervention of Philippe Auguste in 1217. The château stayed in possession of the family until 1761, the time of the marriage of Marie Claude de Beynac with Christophe de Beaumont. It was with Marie Claude de Beynac that this branch of the family ended. One of the descendants sold the château in 1961.

In 1827, the communes of Beynac and Cazenac were merged under the current name.

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1962	355	—
1968	410	+15.5%
1975	411	+0.2%
1982	460	+11.9%
1990	498	+8.3%
1999	506	+1.6%
2008	514	+1.6%

• 

  Beynac

• Ruelle à Beynac (24).jpg

  A little street that connects the village of Beynac to the château above it

• Beynac-at-Cazenac.JPG

  Beynac-et-Cazenac

See also

• Communes of the Dordogne département

References

• INSEE

External links

• Beynac-et-Cazenac website, in English
• Beynac-et-Cazenac on the site of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, in English