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Origin and history

The Devil's Castle, located in Cabrerets in the Lot, is a medieval monument whose remains span 90 meters along a cliff overlooking the Cele. The southern remains, reduced to masonries of base and holes of recessed beams, suggest buildings at two levels accessible by a staircase parallel to the cornice. At the north end, better preserved, there is a house body, a round tower with a staircase topped by a turret, and a chapel with a single nave and semicircular apse. The tower has bays and a cruciform shooting window, while the house has a cross window.

The first written mention of the castle dates back to 1259, when Deodat de Barasc, a knight, paid tribute to Alphonse de Poitiers, Count of Toulouse. The Cardaillacs became lords of Cabrerets around 1320 and remained so until 1439, when Antoine de Cardaillac exchanged the estate with Antoine de Gontaut for lands in Rouergue. The best preserved northern building reveals works probably carried out in the late 14th and 15th centuries on older structures. The abandonment of the primitive castle coincides with the construction of a new castle downstream in the 16th century.

The site has been fully protected since March 2024 and belongs to the municipality of Cabrerets. Its remains, although partially dated, bear witness to the strategic importance of medieval castles in the region, particularly in connection with other sites such as the English castle of Brengues or Larroque-Toirac. The absence of thorough archaeological study limits the accuracy of dates for much of the ruins.

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