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Origin and history

The castle of Fournels, located east of the village of the same name in Lozère, was rebuilt in 1573 by Jean, bastard of Apcher, lord of Hauteville. The latter son of François Martin, Baron d'Apcher and Antoinette de Fabresse, was legitimized in 1571 with the title of ecuyer. The castle, a strategic position defended by towers and thick walls pierced by murderers, dominated three valleys. Originally, it housed period furniture, tapestries and paintings now missing, leaving the interior empty and abandoned.

The Barons of Apcher, powerful medieval lords, had a chain of strong castles in the area, including Fournels. After his marriage to Jeanne de Lastic in 1570, and then to Anne de Maumont in 1594, John of Apcher passed the castle on to their descendants. Among them, Jacques de Lastic distinguished himself at the siege of La Rochelle in 1627. Their lineage included Florimond de Lastic, whose daughter, Marie, was raised at the school of Saint-Cyr and played a role in the first performance of Esther de Racine.

In the 18th century, Dominique de Lastic, born at the castle in 1742, became the last bishop of Couserans. In 1799, Amélie de Lastic married Géraud Pierre de Michel du Roc, Marquis de Brion, nephew of the Duke of Frioul (Duroc), Grand Marshal of Napoleon I. The castle remained in the family until today, after having passed into the hands of their successive descendants. Partly included in the historical monuments in 1961, it bears witness to the history of the seigneurs of Gevaudan and their ties to the imperial nobility.

The Michel du Roc, owners from the 18th century, were an influential family in Gevaudan, Quercy and Languedoc. Their Marquisat de Brion, created in 1756, comprised 21 villages. The castle, once the heart of a network of medieval fortresses, was gradually abandoned after the death of Amélie de Lastic in 1817. Today, its ruins and architecture recall its glorious past, between Crusades, noble alliances and proximity to the Napoleonic Empire.

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