Château de Montendre rises 114 meters on an elevation dominating moorland, woods, and meadows in Charente-Maritime, offering vast panoramic views from its wooded park setting. Built in stone during the 12th century on a site succeeding a Roman castrum and 9th-century fortress, the castle features a keep and solid walls punctuated by four circular towers and a square tower rebuilt in the fifteenth century. Heavily contested during the Hundred Years' War, only two towers remain today. An open-air theater welcomes visitors for events, the square tower houses the museum of Arts and Popular Traditions, and the old gardener's house hosts the House of Europe and its associations.
