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Origin and history

The Château de Gontaud-de-Nogaret has its origins in the seigneury of Gontaud, attested as early as the 13th century. Gontaut's family, then the Melets, were the first known lords. In 1473, after the Hundred Years' War, no castle still exists on the site. Between 1473 and 1495 John III of Melet obtained permission from King Charles VIII to redeem the seigneury and had the present building built. This castle, initially modest, becomes a strategic issue during religious and political conflicts.

During the Wars of Religion in 1580, the village of Gontaud was looted and burned by the royal Catholic troops of Marshal Gontaud. Only the castle, owned by the Baron of Cancon (Jean de Montferrand), a noble Catholic, is spared. The next day, he was occupied by the soldiers. The local population is massacred, illustrating the violence of this period. The building, already fragile, survives thanks to its seigneurial status.

In the 17th century, during the Fronde (1652), Gontaud was again looted by the troops of the Marquis de Biron. Again, the Château des Montferrand is preserved, but the community must pay a ransom in cereals (oats and barley) to avoid its destruction. After the Montferrands, the castle passed into the hands of the Luppe d'Arblade families (1661), then Bacalan (1694), who undertook the first known repairs.

The French Revolution marked a turning point: in 1793 the property of the Pellet family (then owner) was seized, and the castle was auctioned to Marguerite Degalz, widow Martineau. He remained in this family until 1914, when he was bought by Armand de Gontaut-Biron, Marquis de Gontaud. However, for lack of maintenance, the small north tower collapsed in 1949, resulting in part of the housing body.

Since 1955, several owners have succeeded each other without major restorations until 1997, when a construction campaign was launched under the direction of Denis Boullanger, a heritage architect. In 2007, half of the house body collapsed in 1949 was rebuilt, giving the castle some of its original appearance. It has been a historical monument since 1958 and today bears witness to a turbulent history, between conflict, neglect and rebirth.

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