Origin and history
The Castle of Cambayrac, located 3 km west of the village of Castanet (Tarn-et-Garonne), is a composite architectural complex, marked by successive changes between the 16th and 19th centuries. Originally, it was a medieval castle linked to the seigneury of Castanet, owned by the family of Armagnac de Castanet from the 13th century. The site, occupied at the end of the Middle Ages, preserves traces of a first body of houses built in the 15th century, as well as a chapel founded in 1467 by Jean de Castanet, probably with a family funeral vocation. Major transformations took place in the 16th century (logis, dovecoier), 17th century (chapelle redone in 1672), 18th century (farm with square courtyard) and 19th century (grain mill, interior fittings).
The estate, organized around a rectangular house accessible by an exceptional staircase tower, includes a two-spaned chapel, L-shaped communes, a closed farm, a massive dovecote on arcades (late XVI?), and an isolated attic. The materials, such as limestone and sandstone, slate covers, flat tiles or lauze, reflect local resources. The chapel, originally founded in 1467, was rebuilt in 1672 under the name of the Assumption, after Antoine de Castanet obtained permission from the bishop of Rodez to celebrate offices there, arguing that the parish church was remote. The house, renovated in the 18th century after the marriage of François de Castanet with Catherine de Bérail, sees its interiors remodeled into living rooms and rooms, while the farm is supplemented by agricultural buildings.
The Revolution marks a turning point: confiscated as a national property after the emigration of the heirs of François de Castanet (died 1792), the estate was bought by his widow. In the 19th century, the house underwent interior modifications (marble fireplaces, conical roof) and the gate of the farm was dated 1852. After a period of abandonment (1978–1998), restorations were undertaken from 2000, but work in 2013 irremediably altered the interiors, removing fireplaces, parquet floors and historic partitions. Ranked Historic Monument in 2006 (façades, roofs, and all the annexes), the castle is now transformed into a furnished rental, offering six rooms in a preserved setting of 100 hectares.
The etymology of the name Cambayrac, attested in the Latin form Campus Aerati in 1515 ("Field of Aerius"), is considered fanciful by Canon Gayne, who prefers a Gaulish origin: the name of person Cambarius combined with suffix -acus, meaning "property of Cambarius". The estate, intrinsically linked to the seigneury of Castanet, passed from the hands of the Faudoas to those of the Armagnac in 1377, when Pierre d'Armagnac inherited by marriage. His descendants then adopted the name Castanet, lastingly marking the history of the place.
The oldest architectural elements, such as the 15th century latrines or the chamfered bays of the communes, testify to a continuous medieval occupation. The chapel, compared to other private foundations of the region (Our Lady of Grace at Lacapelle-Livron, 1472), illustrates the seigneurial piety and the need for accessible places of worship. The dovecote, dating back to the late 16th century, and the farm with a square courtyard, built in stages, reflect the economic organization of the estate, between agriculture, breeding and storage of crops. Materials and techniques (cradle vaults, screw staircases, stone masonry) emphasize adaptation to local resources and functional needs.
Today, the Castle of Cambayrac embodies both a preserved architectural heritage and the challenges of conservation. Its protection under the Historical Monuments covers all buildings (outside the farm), but recent transformations have erased part of its interior authenticity. The site, open to rent, perpetuates a vocation of welcome, while recalling the changes of a seigneurial estate which became a farm, then a contemporary residence.
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