Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Montricoux, located at the entrance of the gorges of Aveyron between Nègrepelisse and Bruniquel, is an old Templar Commandery founded in the 12th century. In 1181 the monks of Saint Antonin gave the seigneury to the Knights of the Temple, who completed the construction of the dungeon there in 1187. This square dungeon, 20 meters high, houses a vaulted guard room decorated with Moorish-inspired geometric frescoes, as well as a screw staircase connecting two upper floors. The fortress, originally crowned by four turrets destroyed during the Revolution, illustrates medieval military architecture.

In 1312, after the dissolution of the Order of the Temple, Philip the Bel passed on the command to Esquieu de Floyran, a Templar deleator. The seigneury then passed to the Hospitallers, then was sold in 1332 to Pierre Duèze, brother of Pope John XXII, marking the beginning of three centuries under the Duèze/Caraman family. The castle was looted and burned in 1568 during the wars of Religion by the Montalban Calvinists. In the 17th century, he changed hands several times: sold in 1616 to the Duke of Sully, then acquired in 1653 by the maidens of Mouveux, before becoming property of the Malartic family in 1689.

In the 18th century, Count Pierre Hippolyte de Malartic undertook a partial reconstruction, integrating the medieval dungeon with a Tuscan-inspired home. The oval entrance, adorned with monumental statues by Jean-Marie-Joseph Ingres, leads to pieces in thread at 18th century woodwork. The dungeon was listed as a historic monument in 1927. Today, the castle houses the Marcel-Lenoir Museum, which preserves 130 works (drawings, pastels, oils) of this artist, in a private setting founded by Claude Namy.

The building thus combines Templar heritage, Renaissance transformations and neoclassical decorations, testifying to eight centuries of history between religious conflicts, seigneurial power and artistic heritage. The frescoes of the dungeon, rare examples of templar art in Occitanie, and the staircase "Return from Egypt" highlight this stylistic diversity.

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