Château de Montcléra

The origins of the Montcléra lordship date back to 1334, when Duke John II of Normandy transferred the lands to Arnaud de Commarque. He served Popes John XXII and Clement VI. In 1346, Montcléra was designated as a border area between royal and episcopal jurisdictions. The lordship passed to Amalvin de Commarque in 1368, who was identified as Amalvin de Gironde in 1391. The estate suffered damage during the Hundred Years' War and was only reoccupied by the Gironde family in 1446. An inventory from 1504 first mentions the castle by name as belonging to Jean de Gironde. In 1610, François de Gironde bequeathed that his son Brandelis and grandson François should bear the coats of arms of the Gironde and Montcléra families. In 1616, King Louis XIII elevated the Montcléra lordship to a marquisate. The castle remained in the possession of the Gironde family until the 19th century before passing to the Dupuy family.

The Château de Montcléra is situated in the commune of Montcléra in the Lot department, which belongs to the Midi-Pyrénées region in France. It is located at an elevation of approximately 246 meters above sea level.

Today, the Château de Montcléra is privately owned and a registered historical monument. The complex consists of a rectangular main building flanked by round towers with machicolations. One of these towers adjoins an imposing square keep with a watchtower and a large attic floor featuring Renaissance windows. The facade has a carriage gate and a pedestrian gate, both executed as round arches. A beautiful park surrounds the entire property.

• Château de Pechimbert (castle), approx. 11.7 km away
• Abbaye de Gourdon (religious building), approx. 12.6 km away
• Château du Repaire (castle), approx. 12.8 km away
• Château de Doyssac (château), approx. 16.7 km away