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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Château des Comtes de Comminges is a medieval building located in the municipality of Bramevaque, in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées, in the Occitan region. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, it stands on a promontory about 150 meters south of the village, in the valley of the Barousse. Although the dungeon retains an imposing look, the enclosure and the chapel are now in ruins. The site has been protected as historical monuments since 1950, covering the remains of the dungeon, enclosure and Romanesque chapel.

The castle consists of two successive enclosures. The first opens for a second, where the remains of a large construction flanked by two pinions remain. Against this enclosure are the remains of a Romanesque chapel, whose abside was vaulted in cul-de-four (now extinct), while the nave preserves a cradle vault characteristic of Romanesque art. The dungeon, located at the top of the massif, is organized in two bunk rooms vaulted in cradle, served by a seven-flyed staircase integrated in the thickness of the walls. Each room is lit by a murderer and equipped with a wall box and sink.

The staircase leads to a summital terrace, once provided with a parapet. The ensemble illustrates a defensive architecture typical of the Middle Ages, adapted to the mountainous topography of the Barousse. The decorative elements of the chapel (arcatures, damiers, billets) confirm its Romanesque style, while the arrangement of the dungeon reflects a military and residential organization. The site, although partially in ruins, offers an architectural testimony of the Counts of Comminges, local lords whose castle still bears the name.

Ranked a historical monument by decree of 13 December 1950, the castle is not open to visit permanently, and its current use (rent, guest rooms) is not specified in the available sources. Its state of conservation varies: the dungeon remains standing, while the chapel and enclosures are fragmentary. The exact location is listed under address 5024 Le Village, 65370 Bramevaque, in the municipality bearing the code Insee 65109.

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