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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Birac Castle, mentioned in 1259 as a castrum in the possessions of the family of Birac and Pins, was a fief shared between these two lines. The seigneury then passed to the Albret Verteuil after the extinction of the Pines in the 14th century, and was rebuilt in the early 16th century by the family of Lard, who made it a quadrangular fortress adapted to the cannons of the time.

Lard's family, notably through figures such as Louis de Lard (Sénéchal de Castres) or Gabriel de Lard (married to Anne de Galard in 1513), marked the history of the castle until the 17th century. In 1600, Cardinal de Sourdis stayed there, illustrating his strategic importance. The seigneury changed hands several times: seized at the Narbonnes in 1715, it was acquired by André d'Allenet in 1719, then passed to the Brivazacs before being confiscated as emigrated property in 1792.

Already in ruins at the beginning of the 20th century, the castle was partially bought in 1805 by Léon de Brivazac, survivor of the Quiberon expedition. His remains—courtesy, bastions, towers, and a dovecote—were inscribed in historical monuments in 1993. The building, transformed into a barn in the 19th century, preserves the traces of its missing houses, indicated by the bays pierced in the ramparts.

Architecturally, Birac Castle embodies the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, with a quadrangular plan and defensive elements (bastions, towers). Its dovecote, vestige of its farmhouse, and its basement are protected. Historical sources, such as the works of Jean Burias or Georges Tholin, underline his role in the feudality of the Age and his gradual decline after the Revolution.

Today, the ruins of the castle, located at the address 5 Route du Vieux Château in Birac-sur-Trec (Lot-et-Garonne), offer a poignant testimony of local seigneurial history. Their designation as historic monuments in 1993 aims to preserve this heritage, despite its state of advanced degradation.

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