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Origin and history

The castle of Entraygues, built in 1278 by Henri II de Rodez, Viscount of Carlat, was a strategic military fortress at the confluence of the Lot and Truyère. His daughter Cécile brings in dowry to Bernard VI of Armagnac, who strengthens the defenses of the city with thirteen towers and ramparts. The castle, symbol of feudal power, passes into the hands of several noble families, including the Armagnac and the Yzarn of Freissinet.

In 1463, John V of Armagnac sold Entraygues to his cousin Jacques of Armagnac, Duke of Nemours, but Louis XI confiscated the seigneury in 1469. In the 16th century, the castle was looted and destroyed: taken by Calvinists in 1558, it was razed in 1587 and partially rebuilt in the 17th century by Henri de Montvallat. The latter, senechal du Rouergue, erected a new house body while preserving medieval elements such as the Farnal and Panadèse towers.

The Montvallat family kept Entraygues until the Revolution, where the castle was confiscated and sold as a national property. It became a private educational institution and was bought in 2022 by Jean-Louis Costes to be converted into a hotel. The current remains combine medieval architecture (XIIIth–XIVth centuries) and classical additions, reflecting its multiple transformations.

The site embodies almost five centuries of rouergate history, marked by religious conflicts, matrimonial alliances and architectural recompositions. Its location at the confluence of two rivers made it a strategic issue, while its lords – from the Viscounts of Rodez to Montvallat – exercised justice and local power.

Among the remarkable elements, the Farnal Tower (Lot side) and the Panadèse Tower (Truyère side) date from the 13th–14th centuries, while the stairwell and a vaulted room are the last testimonies of this time. The more sober 17th century house body illustrates the evolution of aristocratic tastes after the wars of Religion.

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