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Origin and history

Belzunce Castle, located in Ayherre, New Aquitaine, is a medieval, trapezoidal building flanked by four towers. Its construction spans two major periods: the Middle Ages (XIII and XIV centuries) and the 16th century, where it was rebuilt before being definitively ruined. This monument illustrates the defensive architecture of the period, with traces of external fortifications now reduced to their foundations.

Sold as a national good during the French Revolution, the castle probably served as a stone quarry, as suggested by the absence of debris on the site. The adjoining plots, protected since 1992, include the remains of the castle and its basement. The family of Belzunce, linked to this place, includes among its members François de Belzunce, bishop of Marseilles at the beginning of the eighteenth century, although this period was after the peak of the castle.

The castle of Belzunce is particularly important for the medieval history of the Basque Country. Its present state, marked by ruins and damaged foundations, offers a material testimony of the architectural and political transformations of the region, from its defensive role to its gradual disappearance after the Revolution.

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