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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Marquein Castle, built in 1539, is associated with the Roquefort-Marquein family. According to an unconfirmed tradition, Dauphine de Montbrun, perhaps a favourite of King Francis I, would have commissioned his construction. The archives mention a visit by Catherine de Medici in 1579, as well as that of Henri IV in 1579 and 1581. The castle, described as a quartered square of four towers, retains defensive elements as cannon guns.

When Charles de Roquefort died, the estate moved to his granddaughter, Pauline de la Tour, represented by his grandfather Gabriel Florent de la Tour. In 1819, the castle belonged to the Rigaud de Vaudreuil family. In 1840 Colonel Paul-Marie Sol de Marquein restored it and restored its 16th century appearance. After his death, the castle became the property of the minor son of Émile Hérisson Laparre, engineer in Toulouse.

The castle was partially listed as a historical monument in 1948, and was classified in 1972 for its facades and roofs. Its interior architecture, little modified since 1636, includes a central corridor serving symmetrical rooms. The oak frame, arranged in four floors, and the dissymmetric facades suggest the reuse of an earlier strong house, mentioned in 1464.

An engraved inscription, perhaps added during the restorations of 1840, evokes Dauphine de Montbrun as sponsor. However, no documentation confirms this attribution. The front door, in basket handle, is framed with torso columns and a mutilated coat of arms, reflecting the symbolic importance of the castle to its successive owners.

The noble families linked to the castle, such as the Roqueforts or the Rigaud de Vaudreuil, marked its history with military services and matrimonial alliances. The disinherence of several family branches led to property changes, until it was acquired by bourgeois families in the 19th century, illustrating the social evolution of the region.

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