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Origin and history

The castle of Bazian, located in the Gers department in Occitanie region, is a typical example of castelnau gascon. Its origin dates back to at least the eleventh century, although the exact date of its construction remains unknown. It was probably built on the site of a castral mot, occupying the end of a rocky spur overlooking the valley of the Mouliaque, a tributary of the Osse. The village is organized around the castle, with a church on the opposite side and a square peg tower still preserved, characteristic of the castel of the region. The Barons of Montesquiou, who had appeared in the 12th century, were at the origin of its foundation and regularly resided there, as evidenced by various historical acts.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the castle was profoundly transformed by the family of Bourbon-Lavedan, heiress of the Viscounts of Lavedan. Major additions were made, including overhanging turrets, additional openings and painted interior decoration, partially preserved. The French Revolution did not interrupt the seigneurial lineage, which extinguished only at the end of the 19th century with the Countess of Mesnard. After its sale to farmers, the castle fell into ruins until its restoration at the end of the 20th century by its present owners.

The castle, registered as a historical monument in 2008, consists of a main house body flanked by two square pavilions, with a partially degraded southeast wing. Its interior houses painted decorations from the 16th and 17th centuries, while its enclosure includes a well and a wall of enclosure. The site illustrates the architectural evolution of a castelnau gascon, marked by its defensive and residential role, as well as its integration into the rural landscape of Gers. The neighbouring village of Saint-Yors, now extinct, was once linked to Bazian, with a tower and a church today in ruins.

The municipality of Bazian, rural and sparsely populated (97 inhabitants in 2023), has experienced a constant population decline since the nineteenth century, from 551 inhabitants in 1846 to less than 100 today. The local economy is based on a polyculture and multi-breeding agriculture, in a territory marked by hillsides and valleys, typical of the Tenarze. The restored castle remains a major testimony of the medieval and Renaissance heritage of Gascony, associated with the history of the local noble families.

The tower of the castle, registered in 1974, as well as the fortified gate of Saint-Yors (1973), complete this heritage complex. These elements, combined with the remains of the castelnau and interior decorations, offer an overview of the seigneurial and community life in Gascony, between the Middle Ages and the modern era. The site, although little known, embodies the transition between medieval defensive architecture and Renaissance residential developments, in a preserved rural setting.

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