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Origin and history

The castle of Saint-Côme-d'Olt, mentioned from the 13th century as an aula of the lords of Calmont d'Olt, illustrates medieval defensive architecture with its two cylindrical towers probably added to the 14th century. In the 14th and 15th centuries, this massive rectangular house became a residence of the Castelnau-Bretenoux family, then passed into the hands of the Bourbon-Malauze before being acquired by Jean-Baptiste de Curières, Marquis de Saint-Côme from 1747. The architectural changes increased in the 16th and 17th centuries, with windows piercings and additions reflecting changes in residential and aesthetic needs.

In 1891, the family of Curières de Castelnau entrusted the castle to the Marian brothers to establish the boarding school of Saint-Louis, which operated until 1963. The municipality became its owner in 1970, transforming it into a city hall. A commemorative plaque, affixed in 1955, honours the memory of General Edward de Curières de Castelnau and his family, who died for France. The building, partially classified as historical monuments in 1999 for its facades, roofs and towers, today embodies both the architectural heritage and the local administrative life.

The building retains traces of its successive uses: medieval seigneurial residence, religious school in the 19th and 20th centuries, and then contemporary town hall. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments underscores the heritage value of its defensive elements (the 14th century towers) and its original structure, despite subsequent changes. The duality between its aristocratic past and its current public vocation makes it a symbol of the transmission of heritage in Occitanie.

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