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Origin and history

Fonlabour Castle is built in the 18th century in Albi, Tarn. Originally, it is located in the centre of a vast estate before becoming a domestic school for girls and hosting a milk control laboratory. Its architecture, marked by a neo-Gothic façade and classical elements such as Corinthian pilasters, reflects the successive developments, especially those deemed of poor quality, made in the 19th century.

In the second half of the 20th century, the castle was integrated into a college and then into an agricultural high school. Around 1970, it escaped destruction thanks to the intervention of the principal of the time, while the estate extended with new school buildings, an artificial lake (created in 1975) and a farm. Today, it houses the administration of the high school and retains some original decorative elements, such as antique furniture and a gypsum fireplace.

Architecturally, the castle is distinguished by its long rectangular two-storey body, its south facade surmounted by an attic and circular pediment, and its semicircular tower at the back, housing a monumental staircase. The ensemble, made of brick covered with a white coating, combines neogothic and classical influences. The tile roofs and the wide oculus illuminating the attic complete this hybrid style, characteristic of successive redevelopments.

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