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Origin and history

Durfort Castle, located in the village of Durfort-et-Saint-Martin-de-Sossenac, has its origins in the 12th century. It was probably built by the Bermond de Sauve, vassals of the Count of Toulouse, whose lands were incorporated into the royal estate in 1243. This feudal castle, centered around an imposing tower dungeon, reflected the local seigneurial power and political rivalries of the time.

In 1293 the royal part of the estate was transferred to the bishop of Maguelone, who sold it in 1570. From 1600 the lords gradually abandoned the "old castle" for a more modern residence in the village. The tower, symbol of medieval power, was preserved despite the sale of the rest of the castle in 1775 by the Count of Cadolle, who kept only this emblematic structure.

In the 19th century, the tower experienced an uncertain fate: sold as a career in 1861, it was finally bought by a younger branch of the Cadolle family. The castle, originally composed of a square building body extended towards the dungeon, undergoes major modifications, such as the resumption of bays and the addition of a genoese roof. Today, only the seigneurial tower and the facades of the north wing, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 2008, bear witness to this feudal past.

The tower, which has four levels each with a room, is distinguished by its regular stone apparatus and rustic bosses. These architectural features, combined with its turbulent history, make it a remarkable vestige of the Occitan medieval heritage, marked by power struggles between local lords, Counts of Toulouse and crown of France.

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