Benauges

The castle of Benauges commands the hills between the Garonne and Dordogne. Seat of a viscounty from the eleventh century, it passed to the Grailly family in 1266 and later to their heirs of Foix-Candale. An Anglo-Gascon garrison held the fortress against the French until after Bordeaux and Cadillac surrendered in 1453. In 1462 Jean de Foix bought the lands from Louis XI, saving the castle from complete destruction.