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Origin and history

Pomayrols Castle, located in the Aveyron department in Occitanie, is a medieval building built on a hill overlooking the Lot Valley. Its origins date back to at least the thirteenth century, with written traces attesting to its existence in 1261. It is presented as a quadrangular enclosure flanked by cylindrical towers, two of which are 28 metres high. The castle was rebuilt in 1446 after major works in the 13th and 14th centuries, involving, in particular, the corporation of the workers of the Dome of Aubrac.

In the Middle Ages, the castle played a crucial defensive role, particularly in the face of the looting of the Big Companies and the border tensions between the English Guyenne and the French Gevaudan after the Treaty of Brétigny (1360). An English garrison occupied the area between 1361 and 1369, leaving traces like the rock of the English, a bivouac site. The castle was also a storage place for the property of local churches, making it a target in the wars of Religion. In 1568 he was looted and burned by Huguenots, resulting in the death of six priests and the partial destruction of buildings.

The seigneury of Pomayrols changed hands several times, passing from Cayrodes (1261–1408) to La Romiguière, then to the Murat of Lestang, a family close to the royal court. Berard Murat of Lestang, a chamberlain of Louis XI, inherited it in 1452. The Murat family marked the history of the castle until 1687, with figures such as Gabriel Murat, a hospital knight who died in Rhodes in 1522, or Antoine Murat, a squire of Charles VIII. After the Murat, the estate passed to the Dupont of Ligonnes (1754–1808), before being bought by Augustin Eimar of Jabrun in 1808, then partly by the commune in 1905.

The castle experienced major deteriorations after the Revolution, with razed parts and ditches filled. In the 19th century, it was partly restored by Xavier Fournier, who installed workshops and housing. In 1905, the commune acquired the part to establish a school and a town hall. Today, although not classified as a historical monument, the castle houses a museum of agricultural tools and reception rooms. Its two medieval towers remain a symbol of the heritage of the Haut-Rouergue.

The building, built in shale and hard mortar, has marked defensive features: thick walls of 1 metre, crenellated towers, and an underground system. The chapel, now extinct, was overlooking the west entrance, while the stables, equipped with arcades to murder, testify to its seigneurial use. Despite the damage and reconstructions, the castle retains an impressive architecture, reflecting its past as a strategic fortress and noble residence.

Historical sources, such as the works of Mr. Eimar de Jabrun in the 19th century or family archives, underline the importance of Pomayrols in local history. The Golden Book of Pomayrols (1982) and regional studies complement these accounts, highlighting its role in the religious conflicts and seigneurial dynamics of the Rouergue. Today, the site remains a place of memory, open to visits by appointment to discover its museum and architecture.

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