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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Cadreils, located in Berrac in Gers, was built at the end of the seventeenth century by the lords of Berrac de Cadreils. It rests on the foundations of a 15th century building, including a two-storey pavilion and a round tower. Subsequent additions (quadrangular body, square tower, wings) make it difficult to identify its original vocation, perhaps a gascon castle. The site retains defensive elements such as moat, although without proven military function.

In 1689, a gallery adorned with arches in basket cove and a dovecote dated 1690 (type "mule foot") were added. Interior, including the return rotating staircase, was restored. The castle, which was listed as a historic monument in 1973 for its facades and roofs, also houses a decorated south gate and a fountain in the driveway. Private property of the Gayet family, he doesn't visit.

During the Second World War, the castle served as a refuge for evacuated residents of Saint-Louis (Haut-Rhin), hosted in the Lectoure region. The architecture combines medieval austerity and classicism, with sills, symmetrical windows, and a triangular pediment on the southern facade. The dry moats, crossed by a dormant bridge, and the decorations (lavender balls, coffered vantals) testify to its stylistic evolution.

The sources mention inconsistencies on the dates of the dovecote (1685 or 1690) and interior changes in the 18th century. The castle illustrates the adaptation of seigneurial residences between the Middle Ages and the modern era, in a rural context marked by agriculture and livestock. Its listing as historic monuments underscores its heritage value, despite its limited access.

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