Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Bousquet, located in Montpeyroux in Aveyron, is a castle built in the 14th century by the Montpeyroux family. Its architecture, marked by six towers (two hexagonal and four round) and a chapel oriented to the east, reflects its defensive character while integrating Gothic elements, like a radiant style door. His position on the way to Santiago has sometimes suggested a link with the Hospitallers, although this hypothesis is not confirmed.

In the 16th century, the castle passed to the family of Roquefeuil-Blanquefort by the marriage of Pierre de Roquefeuil with Françoise de Montpeyroux in 1558. Their son, Melchior de Roquefeuil, made him his main residence. During the Revolution, in 1792, the castle was spared by revolutionaries, but its furniture was sold. He remained in the Roquefeuil family until the 19th century, before being bought and restored in the 20th century by Gabriel Gaston, then by Fernande Dijols from 1951, who worked for his protection and classification.

The castle, built in raw basalt, preserves remarkable elements like an intact medieval cuisine with a stage for musicians, a chapel with ceilings painted by Debert in 1709, and classified woodwork. Although its original fortifications (premises, ditches) have disappeared, replaced by 17th century commons, it remains a major testimony of feudal architecture in Rouergue. Partially classified in 1928 and 1978, it illustrates the evolution of a medieval fortress as a seigneurial residence, then as a protected heritage.

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