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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Castelnau-Pegayrols, attested from the 11th century, was founded by the family of Lévézou before being rebuilt at the end of the 12th century (low rooms vaulted in cradle). Its trapezoidal plane, marked by a southern main body flanked by two square towers (including the former dungeon), reflects its defensive origin. The lower rooms, with massive vaults, contrast with the upper floors, adorned with stuccos and illuminated by sills added later. The central stairwell, installed in the 18th century, modernized access to the floors, while the monumental gate has a fronton curvilinear to the arms of the Julien families and an unidentified lineage.

In the 15th century, two square wings were added, reinforcing the fortress aspect: the western wing connects the dungeon to the kitchen tower, while a rectangular wing, possibly posterior, consolidates the southern facade. These adjustments coincide with the disturbances of the Hundred Years' War and the English occupation (Treaty of Brétigny, 1360), when Castelnau, girded with ramparts, became a strategic issue. The Wars of Religion (1556-1632) saw the Arpajon, Protestant lords, use the castle as a bastion against Catholics, Millau being an active Huguenot home.

In 1758, Étienne-Hippolyte Julien de Pégayrolles, president of the Toulouse parliament, acquired the estate and transformed it between 1760 and 1780 into an aristocratic residence. Louis XV then erected the Marquisate of Pégayrolles, uniting Castelnau and Saint-Beauzély. Opposed to Maupéou's reforms, Julien de Pégyrolles embodies parliamentary resistance. His son, Louis-Hippolyte, 2nd Marquis, died in prison in 1794 as a counter-revolutionary, sealing the decline of the lineage. The castle, registered with the Historical Monuments in 1975, retains its medieval hydraulic system and still dominates the Muse Valley.

The site, a private property, bears witness to three key periods: the medieval foundation (XI-XIIe), defensive reinforcements (XVe) and classical metamorphosis (XVIIIe). Its park houses a classified hydraulic system, vestige of seigneurial developments. The ramparts, built after the Hundred Years' War, illustrate the adaptation of the village to the conflicts, while the 18th century stuccos and stairs reflect the influence of the Lights on the roaring aristocracy.

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