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Origin and history

The Château de Pommiers, also called Castrum de Pommiers, is a medieval site located in the commune of Saint-Félix-de-Foncaude, in the department of Gironde. Mentioned from the 11th century in the form of a tenure given to the Priory of La Réole, the Castrum was attested only in 1274, when the family of Pommiers acknowledged holding this fief of the king of England, Duke of Aquitaine. The site, organized around a 12th century triangular enclosure rebuilt in the 14th century, includes a three-storey gate tower, a south courtine overlooking the Vignague River, and the remains of a feudal village.

In the 16th century, Pommiers became the seat of a Viscount. In 1532 Nicolas Bohier, Viscount of Pommiers, sought royal authorization to establish an annual fair. The seigneurial house, destroyed in 1930, and the chapel rebuilt between 1877 and 1879 testify to subsequent transformations. A 17th century dovecote and the Bechade house (1844), built on medieval ruins, complete the whole. The adjacent mill, rebuilt in the 14th century, depended on the castle and was raised later.

The site's preservation began in 1947, with a first request for registration in the Supplementary Inventory, resulting in partial protection in 1987 (premises, tower-gate, archaeological soils). In 1994, the Association de Sauve du Castrum de Pommiers, founded by Jean-Luc Piva and experts such as architect Jean-Bernard Faivre, launched restoration campaigns. These efforts, supported by the State and communities, allow the rehabilitation of the doors and enclosures. An extension of protection was obtained in 1998, and the site was finally listed in the Historic Monuments on June 8, 2007. Since then, youth projects (1997-2001) and annual medieval festivals have animated the site.

The Castrum illustrates the evolution of a feudal site in wine-growing in the 19th century, while maintaining major defensive elements: ditches, barbacans, and lilies. The excavations and studies (including those of Sylvie Faravel) revealed the spatial organization of the medieval village, while recent restorations aim to preserve this emblematic heritage of the Entre-Deux-Mers.

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