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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Gardères, located in the Hautes-Pyrénées, finds its origins in a probable feudal castle of which no written trace remains. The site, strategic, belonged in the 15th century to the family of Coarraze, then passed by inheritance to the Castelnau-Laloubère before being sold in 1603 to Antoine d'Incamps, lord of Abère. This fief even welcomed the Spanish king Philippe V for one night in 1706, marking his geopolitical importance at the time.

The construction of the present castle was initiated by Pierre de Day, grandson of Jérôme de Day who had acquired the estate in 1672. As an adviser to the Parliament of Navarre, Pierre de Day erected this classic building during the second half of the 18th century. The French Revolution forced his family into exile in Spain, but Pierre Joseph de Day, returning, became Mayor of Gardères (1808-1820) before his death at the castle in 1828. The estate then changed hands through alliances and inheritances.

In the 19th century, the castle was embellished with southern turrets and handed to Marie d'Olce de La Lande in 1846, then sold in 1904 to the couple Bernard and Josephine Bacqué. Their daughter Marie lived there until the 1980s, when the castle, abandoned, was looted and squatted. Purchased in 1999 by David Alexandre Liagre, it has since been gradually restored. Ranked a historic monument in 1997, it is distinguished by its moat, orangery, French garden and green theatre.

The field illustrates the architectural and social evolution of local elites, from feudal lords to post-revolutionary bourgeois families. Its registration in the Vieilles Maisons Françaises and in the Demeubles Historiques underscores its heritage value, while its gardens, registered with the French Association for Topiary Art, make it a complete cultural site. Open to the public in the summer and during Heritage Days, it continues a history of power, exile and renaissance.

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