Madaillan: Churches, Château and Plateau Circular Walk

Madaillan combines sacred architectural history with a landscape of plateaus, a hillside and small valleys. Two churches differ in location and building phases; the Château Féodal de Madaillan adds to the historical picture. A circular walk offers a different focus: it goes around the Plateau de Fraisse and through the small valleys of St-Martin and La Goutère. This gives you two distinct focuses for planning your trip: architecture and a circular walk.

Churches between Plateau and Valley

The Église Saint-Denis de Bordes stands at the end of a narrow plateau above the Masse valley. Its location therefore differs from that of the Église Saint-Martin de Doulougnac, which stands on a narrow plateau above the Bourbon stream. Saint-Denis also has two clearly distinct building phases. The church was completely rebuilt in the late 15th or early 16th century. In the second half of the 18th century, the bell tower porch was extended with a four-storey tower. Thus, a comprehensive rebuild and a later tower extension represent two separate building phases.

The Église Saint-Martin de Doulougnac features other notable architectural elements. The western sections of the nave walls contain masonry remains that apparently come from a structure dating from before the 12th century. The apse choir, decorated with nine arches, was built around the middle of the 12th century. The term “nave” refers to the main longitudinal section of a church; “apse choir” means the choir area at the apse. These terms help distinguish the masonry remains from the choir as separate architectural elements.

The Château Féodal and its Setting

The Château Féodal de Madaillan adds a longer building history to the comparison. Construction began in the mid-13th century and continued until the 16th century. Its construction period thus spans several centuries rather than being limited to a single year of origin. The château was built on a hillside and overlooks the surrounding small valleys. Its hillside setting differs from the churches’ plateau locations and places the building in a different relationship with the landscape.

Circular Walk on the Plateau de Fraisse

The circular walk “Madaillan, le circuit du plateau de Fraisse” is 6.7 kilometres long and takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes on foot. It goes around the Plateau de Fraisse and follows paved, shaded paths through the small valleys of St-Martin and La Goutère. As trail conditions can change, check them before setting out.

Architectural History or a Circular Walk?

If you are looking for a hotel in Madaillan, you can plan your trip around these different focuses. Are you particularly interested in architectural history and church architecture, or would you like to plan the circular walk as a separate walking stage?

Discover more destinations: Sainte-Colombe-De-Villeneuve, Saint-Maurin, Sos, Parranquet, Pardaillan, Bajamont, Cuzorn, Varès.

See the broader travel overview: Lot Et Garonne.