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Origin and history

The castle of Espas is a gascon castle located in Gers, Occitanie, built at the end of the 13th century on a motte suggesting an earlier fortification, perhaps from the 12th century. Founded by the Count of Armagnac, it was the seat of a seigneury and belonged successively to several families, including the Batz-Castelmore (family of d'Artagnan) until the Revolution. Its military architecture, marked by the lack of decor and brick walls, distinguishes it from traditional stone castles. The main body, rectangular and flanked by four square towers, retains its original appearance despite minor arrangements in the 17th century, like a stone house.

Under Richelieu, the castle was partially dismantled, losing its niches and mâchicoulis, symbols of its defensive role. Acquired in 2000 by a couple, he was restored in accordance with his medieval spirit. Ranked a historic monument on May 2, 1979, it illustrates the evolution of the Gascon castles, moving from a purely military vocation to a partial residence. Its interior, initially empty and supported by three pillars, reflects an austere conception, typical of the fortresses of the era.

The building is singularized by its brick construction, rare in Gascony, and by architectural elements such as an ogival window on the north facade or narrow murderers. The original entrance, located in height and accessible by a removable ladder, testifies to its adaptation to gascon defence techniques. In the 17th century, doors were pierced on the ground floor, and a low building, now destroyed, was added to make the place partially habitable. The roofs in canal tiles, lined with genoese, mask the traces of the wooden heavys that once ran the walls.

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