Built in the late 11th century, Château d’Eck, is located in the commune of Cadaujac. It is one of the most beautiful medieval châteaux in the Bordeaux area. Flanked by four towers and an outer wall several metres tall, it also features admirable machicolations and loopholes. King William VIII of England established the reputation of its wines. His son, Edward, gave the château to the Church in 1287. The Bishops of Bordeaux lived there.
In 1302, Bishop Bertrand de Goth, one of the most famous figures in the history of Bordeaux, spent three years there prior to becoming Pope Clement V in 1305. The estate was confiscated and nationalised during the French Revolution. It was sold in 1816 to François d’Eck, after whom the château is named. Frédéric Gonet acquired this majestic property in 1999 and undertook an ambitious renovation of thechâteau. Vineyards was also replanted to confirm the estate’s winegrowing vocation going back nearly 800 years.
References:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.