Leaving Mauzac, the path reaches a hill overlooking the
Dordogne River. Formerly cultivated as a vineyard, the earth
is retained by walls in the form of terraces, which give the
site the name “Theatre”. The path that leads upward is wide,
and there are turnouts where carts could pass. There are
bories (igloo-shaped huts made of dry stone), which served as
shelters for wine growers. One of them is unique for its
terraced roof. When people in the bories raised their voices,
they could be heard in the village. A remarkable view over the
Dordogne River, the dam, the town...
Grand
Castang’s Church Steeple
Grand Castang’s church steeple is a former defence tower,
whose lower half dates from the 12th century, and the upper
half from the 14th.
During a recent excavation suggested by the Bâtiments de
France (France’s Buildings) architect, five staircase steps
were found. They should allow access from the ground to the
tower’s covered way.
Through oral tradition, we know that this tower belonged to a
Command called “The Big Chestnut Tree”, of the order of St
Antoine de Guyenne, an order half religious, half military.
It is interesting to note that the small street that skirts
the church was the path taken by pilgrims going to the tomb of
Saint Jacques de Compostelle.
