Braconnac Castle dans le Tarn

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Origin and history

Braconnac Castle, formerly Braconac, is a 12th century castle built in Jonquières, Tarn. It is the seat of a seigneury attested from 1176, when Pierre de Braconnac was mentioned as guarantor of the dowry of Adelaide Trencavel. Despite regional conflicts such as the Albigois Crusade or the Hundred Years' War, the castle seems to have been spared until the wars of Religion.

In 1470, the castle belonged to Fortanier d'Aure, governor of the Viscounty of Lautrec, who obtained permission to strengthen it. The family of Aure, who became Protestant, remained the owner of it until the 17th century. During the Wars of Religion, the castle was taken and sacked in 1570 by Catholics, then maintained by the inhabitants of Castres in 1590 to protect themselves from the League. In 1635 he married the Foucaud family, which kept it until the 19th century.

In the 18th century, the castle underwent reshuffles to adopt a neoclassical style, inspired by the architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. After the Revolution, he remained in Foucaud's family until 1887, when Count Eugène Honoré de Foucaud died. In the 20th century, it became a holiday colony (1942), then a specialized home (1976), before being transformed into a private residence in 2011 after its resale.

Architecturally, the castle consists of a house body flanked by two wings in return, with four circular towers. The main facade, facing to the south, has various openings (rectangular bays, interlacing windows, oculi) and a discreet chapel to the east. The estate extends over a park of nine hectares, reflecting its historical importance and evolution throughout the centuries.

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