Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Poyanne Castle, located in the Landes department in New Aquitaine, has its origins in the early 13th century. In 1206, the local lords built a strong house on the site of an ancient Roman camp. This first defensive building marks the beginning of a continuous seigneurial occupation on this strategic site.

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the medieval fortress was replaced by the present castle, designed to offer more comfort. The architect Gratien de Lerm directs its construction, integrating Renaissance elements while maintaining traces of the old fortress. The central pavilion, dated 1624, and the one adjoining it in the east are the most notable witnesses. The two western pavilions, on the other hand, appear to have been added later.

The castle played an unexpected role in the 20th century. During the Second World War, it houses the archives of the Belgian state, sheltered from conflicts. After the war, in 1985, Benedictine nuns who had occupied him for an indefinite period left the place. The General Council of the Landes became its owner in 1988, after acquiring it to preserve this heritage listed as a historical monument since 1957.

The architecture of the castle is distinguished by its five juxtaposed pavilions, whose central, surmounted by a dome and a gazebo, dominates the whole. The north façade, which is higher due to the slope of the terrain, is decorated with frontons and denticles. Inside, the former reception room on the first floor retains a ceiling with gilded and painted caissons, as well as a monumental carved wooden fireplace, testimonies of the seigneurial fascist of the seventeenth century.

An aborted project also marked its history: at the beginning of the 20th century, the General Council planned to set up an asylum there. When the project was too small and costly, it was abandoned for the benefit of Mont-de-Marsan, where the Sainte-Anne hospital finally opened in 1912. This detour illustrates the debates about the reuse of historic castles at the dawn of modernity.

External links