Château de La Devie dans le Lot

Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

La Devie Castle, also known as Ladevie, is an old agricultural residence located in Belmontet, in the Lot. After the Hundred Years' War, the estate was granted in 1444 by Guillaume de Luzech to Pierre Solacroup, a labourer from Rouergue. The latter, from a family of farmers, settled on these war-ravaged lands to restore them. The local tradition evokes a former episcopal den destroyed during the conflict, whose medieval remains remain in dependencies.

The Solacroup family prospered and socialized through marriage alliances. In the 18th century, Jean Solacroup married his daughter Françoise to the heir of the Foissac, strengthening the prestige of the lineage. Under the Restoration, Marie-Jeanne-Paule Solacroup married Charles de Testas de Folmont, bringing him La Devie in dowry. Their son, Dieudonné de Testas de Folmont (1829–82), modernized the castle in the 19th century by adding a tower, annexes and a wall of enclosure.

The estate remained in the Solacroup family until the extinction of its older branch in 1861. After several changes of owners, it was acquired in 1936 by the current family. Listed as a historical monument in 1996, the castle was bought in 2019 and has since been renovated. His plan, with a closed courtyard and shooting holes, retains a defensive character inherited from his medieval past.

The buildings, both domestic and agricultural, once housed an oven, housing, a stable and two dovecotes. The interior decoration, redesigned in the 19th century, preserves some 18th century doors. Undergrounds and medieval remains in the east elevations bear witness to its ancient history, linked to the post-war reconstruction of One Hundred Years and the social ascent of a family of ploughers.

External links