L’animal au château

The Society of Archaeology and History in Périgord (Les Rencontres d’archéologie et d’histoire en Périgord) has already organised talks on animals associated with the history of castles from the tenth century to this day. This time, animals are at the heart of this study and they definitely deserve it; recent research work on social life in castles has underlined their eminent role, both useful and playful, aesthetic and symbolic too. This is why this publication is like a walk with animals which leads us to castle sites; parks with animals and pigeon houses, large ceremonial rooms and their immense tapestries full of exotic and imaginary bestiaries; the well-named cabinets of curiosities displaying strange animals from the sea and from the earth; the buildings themselves generously decorated with sculptures of animals.

Indeed, this book invites you to a treasure hunt for… animals of all kinds!