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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Château de la Caze is a Renaissance building located in the Gorges du Tarn, in the commune of Laval-du-Tarn in Lozère. Originally built in the 15th century as a strong house for Soubeyrane Alamand and Guillaume de Montclar, it was partly financed by François Alamand, uncle of Soubeyrane, prior of the monastery of Sainte-Énimie and provost of the cathedral of Mende. The local legend evokes eight girls of exceptional beauty, attracting the young nobles of the region.

In the 16th century, Maillan's family (anoblis merchants of La Canourgue) enlarged the castle northward and added a main staircase. This work forms part of the constitution of a vast agricultural estate around the castles of La Caze and Grandlac. The 17th century saw major developments, including the painting of the Nymphs (1637), a mannerist decor signed Prunier, representing eight female portraits in medallions. This cabinet, classified as a historic monument in 1992, illustrates the artistic influence of the period.

During the French Revolution, the castle served as a prison. In the 19th century, the upper parts (mâchicoulis, towers) and the south-east gallery were rebuilt or added. The lintel of the door, coming from the ruined castle of Saint-Saturnin, is integrated into the facade. In 1988, facades and roofs were listed as historical monuments. Turned into a 4-star hotel, the castle now retains its ditch, round towers with conical roofs, and its body of square houses overlooking the Tarn.

The architecture combines defensive elements (fossed, towers) and residential elements ( vaulted gallery, corridors distributing floors). The ground floor and the basement floor are arched in a full-circle cradle, while the rooms of the corner towers house domes. The southwest tower, dating back to the seventeenth century, houses the famous Nymphs' cabinet. The coat of arms above the entrance lintel could belong to the Frayssinet family, owners of the castle of Saint-Saturnin in the seventeenth century.

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