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Origin and history

The Château de La Cépière, located in Toulouse, has its origins in a medieval agricultural estate owned by the Counts of Toulouse in the 13th century. This place was the scene of an episode of the Albige crusade in 1216, when Simon de Montfort gathered hostages there to force the Toulouse aristocracy. After the death of Jeanne de Toulouse in 1271, the estate was integrated into the royal estate, then passed into the hands of the Goirans family in the 15th century, before being acquired by the merchant Auger de Lacipière in the middle of the 16th century.

In 1588, the estate, seized for debt, was purchased by Pierre de Vignaux, a rich Toulouse merchant and capitul, who began the construction of the present castle. Work continued under Bayard's family in the 17th century, with beautifications such as the southeast turret and the south facade. The estate, described as vast and including farm, pigeon and gardens, became a legal issue in front of the priory of the Daurade, before being ceded in 1736 after a costly trial.

In 1745, the castle was given to the diocesan seminary of Toulouse by Antoine de Calvet, becoming a country house for priests. After the Revolution, it was sold as a national property in 1792, then acquired by the Sabatié family in the 19th century, which made architectural changes. In the 20th century, the estate was integrated into Toulouse's urban projects, including the Mirail ZUP, before being restored and transformed into private residences in the 1960s and 1980s.

The L-shaped castle, built in brick, combines Renaissance elements (sculpted windows, atlantes, cariatides) and classics. Its dovecote, dated 1589, is one of the oldest in Toulouse, characterized by its brick structure and its access turret. The facades and roofs of the castle, as well as the dovecote, were inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1980.

The history of the castle reflects the social and urban evolutions of Toulouse, moving from a seigneurial estate to a religious place, then to a private property integrated in the modern development of the city. Its architecture, marked by successive influences, makes it a notable example of the Toulouse heritage, between medieval heritage and contemporary adaptations.

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