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Origin and history

The Château de Verteuil, located in Verteuil-d'Agenais in the Lot-et-Garonne, has its origins in the Middle Ages. The first mention of castrum dates back to 1259, then shared between the families of Caumont and Pins. This primitive castle, built on a motte, was held by the Albrets in 1390 before being ruined after the Hundred Years' War. The medieval remains, including an 80-metre-diameter enclosure and a vaulted heptagonal tower, probably date from the 15th century, when the seigneury was ceded to Arnaud de Caumont, seigneur of Lauzun.

The main house body, located in the southeast, was erected at the end of the sixteenth or early seventeenth century by the Caumont family, gradually replacing medieval structures. In the 19th century, part of the castle was restored in 1839 to accommodate a school, while the east wing, built at the same time as the main house, was later transformed into a hotel under the name of Château des Vallons. Abandoned in 1996, the monument was inscribed in the Historical Monuments in the same year, thus preserving its major architectural elements, such as ground-crossed facades, interior chimneys and flat tile roofs.

The medieval remains, still visible, bear witness to the strategic importance of the site, with a courtine connected to the northwest tower and traces of vaulted rooms. The village developed around this castle, illustrating its central role in the social and defensive organisation of the region. The tufa stone, used for its construction, and the successive developments reflect the architectural evolutions, from medieval fortifications to the seigneurial residence of the Renaissance, then to its modern uses.

The history of the castle is marked by phases of decline and rehabilitation. After serving as a teaching place in the 19th century, it was gradually abandoned before being partially restored for hotel use. Its inscription in 1996 helped to protect the remaining parts of its enclosure and its remarkable architectural elements, such as the broken front door or the cannons of the square tower. Today, the Château de Verteuil embodies both a medieval and a classical heritage, a symbol of the social and political transformations of the region since the thirteenth century.

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