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Origin and history

Castelferrus Castle is a medieval building built around the 14th century, in the eponymous village of the Tarn-et-Garonne department, in the Occitan region. Built behind the church, to the north of the village, it overlooks the first terrace of the Garonne, about 4 km south-southwest of Castelsarrasin. This strategic positioning suggests a defensive or river monitoring role, typical of the fortresses of that time in southwestern France.

Originally, the castle was a stronghold belonging to the Counts of Toulouse, a legacy of their feudal power in the region. Completely redesigned in the 17th century, it lost its military appearance to become a two-storey seigneurial home. The architectural transformations of this period reflect the changing needs of local elites, moving from territorial defence to a more comfortable and representative residence of their social status.

Among the remarkable elements of the castle, the facades and roofs, as well as the room on the first floor with its painted ceiling, were inscribed in historical monuments by order of 21 April 1991. These protections highlight traces of the two major phases of construction of the monument: its medieval origin and modern amenities. East wing, also protected, bears witness to the importance of this site in the architectural heritage of Tarn-et-Garonne.

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