We visited Javerlhac-et-la-Chapelle-Saint-Robert (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France) in March 2023 just as the daylight was beginning to fade. It is a delightful small village which takes about an hour to explore if you are in the northern part of the Dordogne department be sure to stop for a wander around this pretty village especially the part near the river with its castle, church and mill..
Javerlhac et la Chapelle Saint Robert is between Varaignes and Nontron. It is in the Dordogne department in the Perigord Vert close to the border with Charente. The two comunes of Javerlhac and La Chapelle Saint Robert were combined to create the commune of Javerlhac-et-la-Chapelle-Saint-Robert.
The river Bandiat runs through the commune and in Javerlhac this riverside area is very pretty. The castle dates back to the 16th century and has an attractive round tower with a steep pointed roof. Next to the castle is the Romanesque Church of Saint Stephen which dates back to the 13th century though rebuilt in the 15th. In one of the interior walls is an arch shaped tomb with the reclining statues of a man and a woman. These date to the 14 and 15th centuries.
Also nearby is a water mill with its water wheel and next to it a large pigeonnier. The water mill was used in the making of walnut oil. Walking away from the river on the other side of the church is the newer part of the village with its marie and various shops. Also to look out for in Javerlhac is a manor house built in 1882, and the estate of Jommelieres built in 1859 and on the edge of the river is an old royal forge where cannons were made. Forgeneuve was one of the most important forges on the Bandiat river in the 18th century. Archaeologists have recently discovered the unique process they used to make the cannons here. Forgeneuve is open to visitors on Friday afternoons, mid July to mid August.
About three kilometers from Javerlhac is the church of La Chapelle Saint Robert. This is a beautiful Romanesque church built in the 12th century and was once the chapel of a Benedictine priory though this no longer exists. The church has a lovely three-storey bell tower that is 27 meters tall.
Attractions to visit nearby:
Fernand Desmoulin (1853-1914), a painter was born in Javerlhac and some of his work is exhibited in the Abbey of Brantome. Brantome itself is a very beautiful town built on a deep loop of the river Dronne.
Another famous resident of the village was Francoise de la Chassaigne who was daughter to one of the lords of Javerlhac and was the wife of Michel de Montaigne, the famous French philosopher. The Chateau de Montaigne where he lived can be visited on the road between Bergerac and Libourne.
Javerlhac et la Chapelle Robert is situated in the heart of the Perigord-Limousin Natural Park and along the valleys of the river Bandiat and its tributaries is a large diversity of fauna and flora.
7 сен 2024
