Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Château Sainte-Marie de Longages was built in the second half of the 16th century on the lands of a priory dependent on the order of Fontevrault. The building, with a quadrilateral structure flanked by four tower-angle, combines defensive elements and recreational facilities, as evidenced by its East facade decorated with Renaissance windows with pilasters and capitals. The other facades were subsequently redesigned, and the interior, with the exception of the screw staircase in the southwest tower, was completely remodelled in the 19th century.

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the castle passed into the hands of the family of the Count of Comminges, which kept it until the beginning of the eighteenth century. The entrance gate, dating from the 17th century, presents a stone and brick checker decor. In 1984, the monument was partially classified and listed as Historic Monuments: the east façade and the gate were classified, while the other facades and roofs were listed.

The castle illustrates the architectural evolution between the Renaissance and the 19th century, mixing medieval heritage and modern transformations. Its history reflects changes in ownership and use, from a defensive function to a recreational residence and then to a protected heritage. The preserved elements, such as adorned windows or screw stairs, offer a testimony of the techniques and styles of successive epochs.

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