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Origin and history

Duras Castle, located in the Lot-et-Garonne department, has its origins in the 12th century, built on a rocky piton overlooking the Dropt valley. It originally belonged to the Bouville family, before passing into the hands of Gaillard de Got, brother of Pope Clement V, probably by gift from the King of England. This strategic site was marked by conflicts between Gascons lords and royal authorities, notably after the revolt of 1254 in which Henry III confiscated the neighbouring Viscounts.

At the beginning of the 14th century, Bertrand de Got, nephew of Clement V, undertook a major reconstruction of the castle from 1308. Duras' seigneury changed hands several times through complex inheritances, notably after the death of Régine de Got in 1325, triggering disputes with the Durforts. The latter finally obtained Duras in 1327, thanks to a negotiated agreement between the king of France and the count d'Armagnac. The castle then became an issue of Franco-English rivalries during the Hundred Years War.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the lords of Durfort, like Aymeric I or Gaillard II, oscillated between allegiance to France and England, subjected to siege and confiscation. In 1377 the Duke of Anjou burned the castle after the betrayal of Gaillard II, but the structure survived. Durfort's family retained Duras until the Revolution, despite tumultuous episodes such as the seizure of the castle by Louis XI in 1453, and its restitution in 1476. The castle was also a Protestant bastion during the Wars of Religion, sheltering even Jeanne d'Albret.

In the 17th century, the Dukes of Duras, including Jacques Henri de Durfort, transformed the fortress into a marina, adding gardens to the French and rebuilding the houses. The castle enjoyed its architectural climax under the first Duke, marked by sumptuous interior arrangements. After the Revolution, declared national, it was looted and partially dismantled, before being redeemed in 1807 by the last Duke of Duras. In the 19th century, it changed ownership several times before being acquired by the municipality of Duras in 1969, which undertook its restoration.

Ranked a historic monument in 1970, Duras Castle is distinguished by its quadrilateral flanked by round towers, its 17th and 18th century interior decorations, and its terraces overlooking the Dropt. Today, it houses period furniture, restored in collaboration with the National Furniture, evoking its medieval past and golden age under the Durforts. Its history reflects power struggles in Aquitaine, between local lords, kings of France and England, and architectural transformations related to the eras.

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