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Origin and history

The castle of Saint-Pastour is a strong house built at the northwest corner of the enclosure of the bastide of the same name, founded between 1250 and 1259 by Alphonse de Poitiers. This monument, built in tufa bellows, is characterized by a rectangular plan flanked by three towers: an iron-to-horse tower, a quadrangular tower, and a polygonal tower with a screw staircase. Defensive piercings and elements, such as cannons, date mostly from the late 15th century or from the Wars of Religion (16th century), reflecting the reshuffles linked to the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants.

The bastide of Saint-Pastour, initially under English influence after the Treaty of Amiens (1279), became a strategic issue in the struggles against the English from the 1350s. The enclosure and the castle, probably built or reinforced after 1350, illustrate this period of tension. In the 16th century, the city was the scene of violent clashes: in 1569 Monluc fought there Protestant captain Arnaud de Clermont, while Armand de Gontaud-Biron took over the square in 1580, massacring the Huguenot defenders before it was taken over by the latter. These events mark the history of the castle, today in ruins.

The building, which has been listed as a historical monument since May 30, 1990, preserves medieval and Renaissance architectural traces, such as a milled stone chimney and a segmental arch coat. The second floor disappeared on an indeterminate date, and the coronation of the building no longer exists. Despite its state of ruin, the castle remains a testimony of the military and political transformations of the region, from the foundation of the bastide to the 13th century to the wars of Religion.

Located on a rocky escarpment overlooking the northern front of the city, the castle was integrated into a wider defensive system, including the bastide ramparts. The latter, dated from the second half of the 13th century, underline the strategic importance of Saint-Pastour, at the boundary between the territories under French and English influence. Subsequent developments, such as fire flares, reflect adaptation to new war techniques, including the use of artillery during religious conflicts.

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