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Origin and history

The castle of Brax, located in the municipality of the same name in Haute-Garonne, is an emblematic monument of the transition between the medieval castle and the Renaissance pleasure castle. Originally built in the 13th century by Arnaud de La Faya after a donation by the Count of L'Isle Jourdain in 1352, it was used to defend the area against English incursions, including those of the Black Prince. The building, surrounded by crenelated walls and flanked by four circular towers, reflected a purely defensive vocation, supplemented by the right of settlement granted to the inhabitants to supply themselves with wood.

In the 16th century, the castle evolved into a residential function under the impulse of Françoise de Seysses and her husband Jean de Polastron, who built a marina in 1582. This transformation is part of a context of relative peace and Renaissance, where lords favor comfort and aesthetics. Henri IV briefly stayed there in 1600 during a hunting game, marking the importance of the estate. The body of rectangular brick houses, the towers crowned with niches, and the false mâchicoulis illustrate this duality between medieval heritage and architectural innovations.

The 18th century saw the castle pass into the hands of the family of Hérisson, with Suzanne de Polastron who brought it in dowry to her husband in 1784. The couple added commons and modernized the estate, which remained in their descendants until 1849. Subsequent changes, such as the addition of a building in 1860 by the Pins-Monbrun family, partially altered its harmony. A fire in 1930 severely damaged the roof, which was later badly restored, while the park, remarkable for its variety of plants (cedars, plane trees, oaks), was preserved despite the transformation projects.

During the Second World War, the castle played a discreet but crucial role: it housed the special services of National Defence and served as the basis for the Morhange resistance network. The basements become a place of interrogation and execution for captured enemies, with more than seventy corpses buried in the park. In 1942, resistance fighters were killed near a tower, recalling the tensions of the time. These dark events contrast with its subsequent use, dedicated to education and health.

After the war, the castle changed hands several times. In 1946, its listing of historic monuments was motivated by the threat of partial destruction of its park. In the 1950s, architect Jean-Louis Gilet, director of the École des beaux-arts de Toulouse, became its owner until his death in 1964. In 1967, ASEI (Association for the Protection of Disabled Children) acquired the estate to set up a specialized institute, now dedicated to deaf-blind adults. Since 2022, the town hall of Brax has owned it, ensuring its preservation.

The castle park, 700 meters by 250, is crossed by the Chauge Creek and is divided into a 10 hectares wooded area and a wooded area around the buildings. Close to the Bouconne forest, it houses rare species such as a cedar of the Himalayas or bicentennial plane trees. In 2009, the National Forestry Board drew up a detailed inventory, highlighting its ecological and heritage value. The last decades have seen sales and restructuring projects, but local mobilization has maintained its integrity.

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