Villages of Perigord

“Castelnaud is the family cradle on my mother’s side.

This maternal connection is so special that I can hardly

express it.I feel great emotion each time I walk through

Castelnaud,when the light falls on the stone slabs,each a

chunk of history.The village has miraculously kept its soul,

despite the thousands of visitors that come here.The will to

keep the village alive while respecting heritage buildings has

been a local concern,for over eight centuries.With its head

in the stars,the castle looks out toward the river and watches

over our homes.‘The river Hope,fluvial kingdom,soul of the

valley’…The writer Signol described it best.When I’m here,

I’m not checking my watch to see if I’m getting that little piece

of happiness I deserve.I know that this is home.”

The village houses the headquarters of EPIDOR, a public coordinating structure

that manages the aquatic environment of the Dordogne basin from its source, to its

confluence with the Garonne River. EPIDOR has adopted the Coulobre as a mascot.

Once a cruel creature that dragged the mariners

to theirs deaths at the bottom of the riverbed, the

mythical monster has now taken on a more friendly

appearance, in order to build respect and heighten

awareness in the community and amongst visitors,

of the river, its tributaries and its ecosystem.

“I know that

this is home”

Germinal Peiro,

President of the Department Assembly,

MP and formerMayor of Castelnaud

The Legend of the Coulobre

Milandes castlewas partly built in 1489 and later remodelled as

a romanticmanor house at the beginning of theXXth century.

From the summer of 1947 to 1968, this was the realm of

Josephine Baker and the twelve children of her “Rainbow

Tribe” adopted with her husband Jo Bouillon. An extensive

exhibition covers all aspects of the life of this great lady of

music hall and the French Resistance. A falconry display and

other shows including tropical bird feeding in the aviaries,

entertain the whole family. Spring 2016 marks the end of a

long-term project to resize the gardens around their most

beautiful viewpoint.

Les Milandes and Josephine Baker

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

24+1 VILLAGES OF PÉRIGORD