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Origin and history

The castle of Jouqueviel, located in the Tarn in Occitanie, probably dates from the 13th century, although its first written mention dates back to the 14th century. Built on a rocky spur of gneiss, it was limited to a rectangular tower of 4.5 x 5.5 meters, with thick walls of one meter, surrounded by a ditch. His exact role remains uncertain: watchtower, defensive fort or even prison according to certain traditions. The site, strategic, could have been occupied long before the Middle Ages.

The castle was destroyed during the French Revolution on 9 February 1790. A group of peasants, hostile to Baron Augustin-Alexandre de Faramond (unpopular owner residing in Rodez), looted and demolished the building. Of the medieval complex, today only the ruins of the tower, inscribed in the historical monuments in 1927. An adjacent, posterior home with arquebus murderers suggests partial reconstruction at an indefinite time.

The name Jouqueviel (or jocal vielh in Occitan) evokes its location: "old juicier", with reference to the rocky piton on which it is perched. The castle faced the Roumégous castle, highlighting its role in a local defensive network. No trace remains of the deep well mentioned by tradition, nor of the other minor constructions surrounding it. The current remains illustrate a modest architecture, typical of the small rural fiefs of the region.

The preserved tower, originally three storeys high, has angles reinforced by pillars now partially collapsed. Its present state does not allow to accurately restore its medieval appearance. The second ditch, carved from the rock, made access particularly difficult, confirming its defensive vocation. The narrow windows, characteristic of military buildings, limited the points of vulnerability.

After its revolutionary destruction, the site fell into oblivion until it was ranked in 1927. The adjacent house, of more recent invoice, may date back to the 18th or 19th centuries, although its murderers suggest an earlier origin. However, no archive documents its construction. Today, Jouqueviel Castle offers a fragmentary testimony of modest castral architecture in Albigeois.

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