Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Montcuquet, mentioned from the 14th century as a stronghold, is attested in 1451 as property of Pierre Dupuy, lord of Ambres. Built in the 15th century, it belongs to the Dupuy family, which preserves it until the 16th century. His exact origin remains related to Antoine Dupuy, Pierre's father, quoted as lord of the place.

The Wars of Religion (XVI century) turned the castle into a strategic issue. In 1575 Paulin's Protestant Viscount seized it briefly before it was taken over by Catholics. In 1577, the Huguenots of the captain of La Grange occupied it after an escalation, then Italian roadmen led by Alexander s Henry III of Navarre, future Henry IV, ordered his dismantling to avoid new conflicts.

After the wars, the castle passed to the Capriols (1595), then returned to the Dupuys, before being sold to the Liganiers in 1689. Louis-Godefroy de Ligonier was born there that year. In the 18th century, it was rebuilt by the family of Gervain de Roquepiquet, which kept it until 1854. Purchased by the Vene family, it was sold to the Ross family in 2022.

Architecturally, the U-shaped castle, surrounded by a wall of walls flanked by round towers, houses a Renaissance well and a monumental staircase inspired by the Episcopal Palace of Castres. A woman's sculpture in the dove adorns its main facade, while a French garden precedes the courtyard.

The Dupuy family, originally from Tarn, dominates the history of the castle. Antoine Dupuy, the first known lord, passed the estate on to his son Pierre (1451), then to Alain (1502-1532). Jacques Dupuy, crowned by the lineage, paid tribute to Henri IV for his lands, including Montcuquet.

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