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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Château des Bourines is an ancient fortified feudal barn located in Bertholène, Aveyron. Given in 1273 by the Counts of Rodez at the hospital of Aubrac, it served as a wheat attic for this religious institution. Transformed into a fortified home during the Hundred Years' War, it preserves a 13th century rectangular dungeon and a body of adjoining houses surrounded by a four towered courtine.

In the 16th century, Cardinal Georges d'Armagnac, Dom d'Aubrac from 1546 to 1585, lived there and brought embellishments: a portal dated 1546 and an inner gallery. The 15th century chapel, vaulted in a warhead, and the rooms with original beams and fireplaces testify to its history. A cross of intersection of 1579 completes the whole, classified historical monument in 1963.

The castle also served as a setting for films such as Malevil (1981) and Fanfan la Tulipe (2003), highlighting its iconic character. The adjacent agricultural buildings, listed in the same title, reinforce its heritage importance in the Occitanie region.

Architecturally, the site illustrates the duality between monastic function (storage of tithes) and military defence, typical of fortified Cistercian barns. The successive developments, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, reflect its adaptation to the needs of the domeries and local lords.

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