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Origin and history

Boisse Castle, located in Bournazel in the Tarn, is a castle mainly dating from the 15th century, although largely redesigned in the 16th century. It is distinguished by its compact architecture, composed of a central house body surrounded by three circular towers, including a larger entrance. This monument, typical of the defensive buildings of the late Middle Ages, reflects the military and residential needs of the period.

Originally, the castle belonged to the Dales family (now Alès), which occupied it until the 18th century. The last lord of Boisse of this line lived there in 1758 before selling the estate. The family of Alès, from the house of Anduze, was a noble dynasty of Languedoc, involved in the management of the Pyrenean forests and marked by strategic alliances in the region.

In the 19th century, the castle was acquired by Vice-Admiral Armand de Saint-Félix, then transformed into a farm in the 20th century. After several changes of owners, including a Mr. Perrier and a Russian family during the Second World War, he became in the middle of the 20th century the heart of a wine estate under the name Gaillac, still in operation today under the Pelras family.

The architecture of the castle reveals notable defensive elements, such as cross murderers framing the entrance or a vaulted cellar with openings to defend the valley below. The central tower, once surmounted by a shield hammered at the Revolution, bears the traces of the arms of the Alès family. These details illustrate both its residential and strategic role in local history.

The family of Alès, extinct today, played a significant role in the region, with members occupying positions as masters of the Waters and Forests or local lords. Their history is marked by revolutionary confiscations and deportations, such as that of Abbé Raymond, who died in Guyana, reflecting the political upheavals of the time.

Since the 1950s, the castle of Boisse has been dedicated to an agricultural and wine-growing operation, perpetuating its anchor in the economic and cultural heritage of Occitanie. Its evolution, from a medieval fortress to a wine estate, reflects its adaptation to the successive needs of its owners and the region.

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