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Origin and history

The Fourcès Gate Tower, built to the west of the village, marks the end of the Horloge Street and integrates into the semi-circular enclosure built during the war against the English (the Hundred Years War). It consists of a vaulted passage in a broken cradle, disconnected from the original door in the middle, suggesting a construction in two phases: a first pier in the 12th century (internal door), followed by the erection of the tower between the late 13th and early 14th century. Architectural remains, such as bolt holes and ravens, indicate a extinct wooden structure, while shooting openings and the trilobed window reveal its defensive role.

The tower underwent major modifications, notably under Louis XI (15th century) after the destruction of the adjacent castle ordered by Charles VII at the end of the Hundred Years War. The grey stones of the Agenas, used for partial covers in the late 15th or early 16th century, distinguish these additions. From the 17th century, the tower houses the municipal clock, becoming the "belfry" of the village, as evidenced by the local archives (Fonds Loubès). The door stalls have been extended to the contemporary period to facilitate the passage of carts.

Classified with the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments since 1937, the gate tower preserves architectural puzzles, such as unexplained "sabre strokes" in masonry. Its pavilion roof, topped by a wooden bellet, and its spiral staircase attached to a milling ladder illustrate the successive adaptations. Although communal property, its interior has not been the subject of extensive archaeological studies, leaving certain phases of construction in the shadow.

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