Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Ourout, located in Argelès-Gazost in the Hautes-Pyrénées, was originally a noble fief free of royalties, reporting directly to the Count of Bigorre. Built on a plateau facing the church, it was surrounded by barns, borders, orchards and fruit trees. The traces of the medieval periods and of the first Renaissance are still visible, especially on the west facade, flanked by three towers, including a dungeon and a tower with a staircase. Two grain elevators and a well under the dining room testify to his past as a strong castle.

In the 19th century, the architect Jean-Jacques Latour, a student of the Fine Arts of Paris, undertook important developments, transforming the old medieval residence. The ground floor is dedicated to reception rooms, while a room on the floor preserves early 19th century greys, inspired by the life of Psyche. A barn is converted into a chapel, and the old useful gardens, once enclosed with walls, give way to a romantic landscaped park, typical of the Pyrenees. This garden, marked by local and exotic species (palmers, ferns, hydrensias), is organized around waterfalls, basins and winding alleys, creating contrasts of light and vegetation.

The park, designed in the British romantic spirit, was originally open to the mountain landscape, but gradually closed with tree growth. Its underground hydraulic system, delicate to maintain, has partially disappeared. Local materials such as stone and roller structure fence walls, canals and alleys. The influence of landscaper Placide Massey, although deceased before the renovation of the castle around 1860, is suggested by the quality of the plant contrasts, perhaps inspired by his friendship with the owner Maxime de Roquette Buisson. This park illustrates the romantic sensitivity of the mid-19th century, mixing picturesque aesthetics and adaptation to the Pyrenean climate.

The castle and its park, including the chapel, were inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 6 December 1995. Their location, at the approximate address of 22 Rue de Roquette Buisson, enjoys a geographical accuracy deemed satisfactory a priori.

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