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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Caumont Castle, located in Cazaux-Savès in Gers, is an emblematic monument of the French Renaissance, built between 1525 and 1535 on the remains of a 12th century castle belonging to Gaston Fébus. Its architecture combines medieval defensive elements (hexagonal towers, angle pavilions) and Renaissance influences, such as stone and brick facades or carved courière. The site, strategic on the border of the Counties of Comminges and Isle-Jourdain, was transformed by Pierre de Nogaret, lord of La Valette, after his marriage to Marguerite de l'Isle in 1521. The attribution to architect Nicolas Bachelier remains debated, with some stylistic elements suggesting rather a realization by his son, Dominique, in the second half of the 16th century.

A fire in 1658 destroyed the south wing, rebuilt in a more marked classical style, with bosses and rhythmic spans. In the 19th century, the castle was embellished by the family of Castelbajac: Armand added a troubadour decoration to the ground floor (1839), while his son Gaston would rest the main house body around 1900, replacing the tiles with slates. The park, built by Sophie de La Rochefoucauld, includes rare species (Lebanon cedars, palm trees) and a 19th century cooler. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1943, the castle remains owned by the Castelbajac family, despite a tragedy in 2014.

The castle is inseparable from the Nogaret de La Valette family, including Jean-Louis, Duke of Épernon (born in Caumont), was a favourite of Henri III and companion of Henri IV. The powerful seigneury influenced regional architecture, as evidenced by the castle of Cadillac, inspired by Caumont. The vaulted basements and commons ( stables, lower yard) recall its role as active seigneurial residence until the 20th century. Today, the estate, open to the public, participates in the Rendez-vous aux Jardins and preserves a military, residential and landscaped heritage.

Nicknamed the "Château de la Belle au bois dormant" for its red brick silhouette and its dá sardoise roofs emerging from a futai, Caumont also owes its nickname "Château des Légendes" to its romantic and tragic history. The restoration undertaken by Jean and Michèle de Castelbajac in the 1980s allowed its opening to the public, before their brutal disappearance in 2014. The park, classified in 1984, is home to a quadrennial oak and a historic irrigation system (damaged in the 1960s), reflecting 19th century agronomic innovation.

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