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Origin and history

The castle of Agos-Vidalos, also known as the Vidalos tower, is a military building erected in the 12th century on the order of Centulle III, Count of Bigorre. Located on a rocky hill south of the village, it overlooks the historic road between Lourdes and Argelès-Gazost and the Gave de Pau. Its initial role was to protect the Lavedan valley from repeated raids by Aragonese, Basque or Navarre looters, frequent at that time found in the Pyrenees.

In 1175 Centulle III began the construction of this castle, marking the beginning of its documented history. In the 13th century, the Countess Pétronille de Bigorre (also known as Peyrona) became its owner after the purchase. It is undertaking important consolidation work to strengthen the structure. His grandson, Eschivat IV de Chabanais, heir to the estate, then promoted local agricultural development by granting tax advantages to farmers living on his lands, illustrating the link between seigneurial power and rural economy.

The tower, the central element of the castle, had a characteristic defensive architecture: three levels without opening on the ground floor, accessible only by a door located 6 meters high. The upper floors, small, contained only defence arches. The original roof, with an internal double slope, allowed water to be drained by wall openings. There is no trace of the wooden enclosure that probably surrounded the original castral moth.

In the 20th century, the monument experienced a partial collapse in 1981, remaining in ruins for almost a decade. Between 1992 and 1997, a local association supervised its reconstruction, although some modifications were made: a door was pierced at the base (unlike the original high access), and the roof was not restored to the same level. A stone enclosure was also rebuilt during this work, without any certainty as to its historical fidelity.

Today, a metal staircase provides access to the tower's upper platform, offering a view of the valley. The site bears witness to medieval defence techniques and the strategic stakes of the central Pyrenees in the Middle Ages, while illustrating contemporary challenges of heritage preservation.

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