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Origin and history

Montlaur Castle, located at the top of a hill above the village, is a building mainly built in the 16th and 17th centuries, although remains of an earlier castle, dating from the Cathar era, are still visible around the old mill. The building, made of red brick characteristic of the Toulouse region, was profoundly redesigned under Napoleon III, then losing its corner scallops and its tower "Clémence Isaure", replaced by a chapel. The 19th-century transformations also changed the windows (removal from the sills) and replaced the creneled wall of the courtyard with a grid. Inside, a living room preserves wallpapers from the mid-19th century, representing Parisian monuments.

The castle is known for serving as a foot-to-earth for Catherine de Medici, highlighting its historical importance in the region. It consists of a central forebody, two wings in return and a common building. In 1982, it was listed as a historical monument, and it specifically covers the living room with its wallpaper decoration and the facades/roofs of the communes. The site is linked to Lauragais, a former "Pays de Cocagne", known for its agricultural wealth, including pastel and wheat cultivation.

The commune of Montlaur, rural and close to Toulouse, preserves an architectural heritage marked by this castle, symbol of its medieval and reborn history. The monument is part of a landscape of fertile hills and plains, typical of the Toulouse region, now influenced by the economic attraction of the Toulouse area.

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