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Key figures

Origin and history

The enclosure of Bruch, located in the department of Lot-et-Garonne, is a vestige of medieval fortifications surrounding a castelnau (castral town) established in the thirteenth century. The local lords, the Fossat family, built an orthogonal ensemble there, protected by two towers still visible today, marking the north and south entrances. These fortifications reflect the defensive organization typical of medieval agglomerations in Aquitaine, under the influence of both Toulouse and English.

Bruch's first written mention dates back to 1249, when Arnaud Garsie du Fossat paid tribute to Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, for the castrum. In 1286, the site passed under the suzerainety of the king of England, Duke of Guyenne, illustrating the political tensions of the region. In the 14th century, the seigneury changed hands with the family of Lamothe, then the Castillons, before becoming part of the French royal estate in 1589. The remains, including the north tower remodeled in the 16th century, bear witness to this turbulent history.

The enclosure experienced violent episodes, such as the imprisonment of Bertrand de Lamothe by his cousin Jean de Ferréol in the early 15th century, reflecting the local conflicts related to the Hundred Years War. Ranked a historic monument in 1906, the south tower was damaged by lightning in 1910, while the north tower was restored in 1934 and 1956. These remains remain a rare testimony of medieval military architecture in New Aquitaine.

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