Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Latoue, also known as Château de Latour, finds its origins in the 11th century with the construction of a first dungeon in red stone, surrounded by a fortified enclosure. This castrum, controlled by Count Bernard I of Comminges, included a 5 m x 5 m tower with an entrance suspended at 6 meters, a blind bass room, and a castral chapel dedicated to Saint-Sernin. The ensemble, of elliptical shape, was protected by white stone courtines and a defense system including a Romanesque poterne. A complementary defence tower was located 1 km north on the Floran estate, highlighting the strategic importance of the site.

At the beginning of the 13th century, the castle was enlarged and modernized: the former dungeon became a common space, while a new tower of 10.50 m x 9.50 m was erected, incorporating a re-used Romanesque door and a vaulted lower room in a cradle. An enveloping white stone shirt strengthens the defenses, complemented by a round tower called "city tower" to the west, possibly serving as a door tower with harrow. The chapel Saint-Sernin, backed by the northern rampart, becomes the parish church. In 1304, the castrum of Turre was mentioned in an act, but it suffered major damage in 1440 during a conflict between Armagnacs and Foix-Béarn, which remained uninhabited for a century.

The Renaissance (XVI century) marked a major transformation with the addition of a hexagonal tower adjacent to the dungeon, equipped with a stone screw staircase and mâchicoulis, replacing wooden ladders. An angle tube surmounted by a turret, attributed to the Toulouse architect Dominique Bachelier, illustrates the influence of urban styles (Toulouse, Albi) in rural areas. The latrines and accesses are redesigned for more comfort, while the dungeon's lower room, formerly a prison, is refurbished. A partial fire in 1500 preceded a restoration in 1581, incorporating defensive elements such as an assumption in the trunk.

In the 18th century, the castle lost its upper wooden floors and gained a new house next to the dungeon, with two additional levels. The kitchen is installed in the old lower room, and exterior facilities (roof, double staircase) modernize access. In the 19th century, the land was flattened, and the cedars of the Atlas were planted in arc of circle, while the ramparts were partially flattened. In 1971-1972, concrete foothills secured the south facade threatened with ruin. Listed at the Additional Inventory of Historic Monuments in 1979, the site now hosts cultural events.

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