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The Château de Biron is a castle in the French commune of
Biron in the valley of the Lède, a tributary of the Lot River
in the département of Dordogne in Périgord, part of
the Aquitaine. Biron was held by Cathars in 1211 and taken by Simon
IV de Montfort the following year. The Plantagenets held it at times
during the 14th and 15th century. Biron was erected as a duché-pairie
in 1598, for Charles de Gontaut, created duc de Biron.
The present château bears additions over the centuries that
make it a picturesque ensemble: a twelfth century keep, sixteenth-century
living quarters, a chapel and vaulted kitchens. The commune purchased
the Château de Biron in 1978, with a view to restoring the
structure as a tourist draw. Since 1928, the Château de Biron
has been listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry
of Culture. |
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