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Château de Saint-Blancard dans le Gers

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château de style troubadour
Gers

Château de Saint-Blancard

    D228
    32140 Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Château de Saint-Blancard
Crédit photo : Liak - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1303
Reconstruction agreement
XVIe siècle
Drilling and birth
1888
Fire and reconstruction
1926
Last pregnant
1959
Sale of the castle
23 novembre 2005
Partial classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The facades and roofs of the castle with: on the ground floor: the large room, the room of Marguerite de Navarre, the dining room, the neo-Gothic wooden staircase, the rooms decorated with the dungeon with their fireplace; the courtyard and ditches to the south and east with the enclosure wall; the feudal moth; facades and roofs of outbuildings and greenhouses (see Box C 30, 31, 33, 28, 34): registration by order of 23 November 2005

Key figures

Pierre d'Orbessan - Local Lord Signed the reconstruction agreement in 1303.
Maréchal de Biron - Military and noble Born in the castle in 1562, executed for treason.
Henri de Gontaut - Marquis de Saint-Blancard Reconstructed the castle after the fire of 1888.
Jacques Jaujard - Conservator of the Louvre Organized the protection of works during the Second World War.
Christiane Desroches Noblecourt - Egyptologist Helped save Egyptian antiques from the Louvre.
Armand de Gontaut Biron - Last family owner Selled the castle in 1959.

Origin and history

The Château de Saint-Blancard, located in the Gers in Occitanie, finds its origins in an ancient and medieval occupation confirmed by excavations in 1889. A first castle was mentioned in the 13th century, with an agreement in 1303 between the inhabitants and Pierre d'Orbessan for its reconstruction. The 14th century masonries, widely preserved, form the structure of the monument, supplemented by 16th century pierces.

In the 16th century, the castle was associated with the family of Gontaut Biron, whose Maréchal de Biron, born in 1562 in his walls, was executed for treason to Henry IV. A fire in 1888 partially ravaged the building, resulting in a reconstruction by Henri de Gontaut. This phase adds a western dungeon, neo-Gothic decorations, and the slaughter of the south and west walls to clear the view of the Pyrenees. The commons and a greenhouse are also built at that time.

The 20th century marks a turning point for the castle: during the Second World War, it houses works from the Louvre, saved thanks to Jacques Jaujard and Christiane Desroches Noblecourt. Sold in 1959, the property became a hospital before being acquired in 1990 by Andrew Harding, a British. Since the 2000s, the castle, partially classified as a historical monument in 2005, has been abandoned despite the efforts of a local association to preserve it.

Protected elements include facades, roofs, a feudal motte, and decorated interiors such as Marguerite de Navarre's room. Urban architect Vitry and Leopold Gentil contributed to its transformation in the 19th century. Today, the castle remains a private property, witness to the architectural and historical developments of the region.

External links