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Origin and history

Seissan Castle, located in the Gers, is today mainly represented by a 24 meters high square tower, built in the 13th century. This mullion structure shows two distinct phases of construction: a regular device up to mid-height, then irregular stones above, revealing a recovery between the floors. The ground floor, vaulted in a cradle and formerly accessible by a hatch, served as a reserve, while the upper floors, equipped with latrines and chamfered windows, had a residential vocation. A communal building replaced the former seigneurial house, whose remains indicate a single floor.

The Castrum of Seissan was first mentioned in 1266, when the Abbé de Faget, lord of the place, placed him under the protection of the Count of Astarac Bernard II in the framework of a trimming agreement. The castle, the center of the fortified enclosure, lost its residential use in the 18th century: in 1759 the Abbé de Faget demanded its demolition because of its state of advanced decay, keeping only a few rooms and attics in ruins. Despite this, the tower is preserved, symbolizing the seigneurial power of the abbots, and the right of the inhabitants to receive a snack there on the day of All Saints' Day is maintained.

In the 18th century, the cadastre of 1761 attests that the feudal structure was still largely intact under the name of "the castle". The facades and roofs of the tower were finally listed as historical monuments in 1973. This tower, characteristic of medieval military architecture in the vicinity of Auch, bears witness to the role of the abbots of Faget in the local seigneury and to the evolution of fortifications between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

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