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Origin and history

The Château de la Mothe-Gajac, located in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles en Gironde, is a castle built in the late 15th century and modified in the 16th century. It stands out as one of the few remaining examples of this type of architecture in the Bordeaux region. The monument, surrounded by moats on three sides, consists of a quadrilateral flanked by four corner towers (three round and one square housing a chapel), and an initial rectangular building. Its main entrance, accessible by a bridge, overlooks an alley that has become Alfred de Musset Street. Today, surrounded by lots and a shopping centre, it retains traces of its medieval past despite later additions.

The castle was built on an old castral motte, in an area to monitor the right bank of the Jalle, near the Bordeaux to Lacanau road. The first mention of the site dates back to 1289, but the current building dates back to the post-war reconstruction of Hundred Years. It belonged to several families, including the Montaigne (from 1541), which modified it in the 17th and 18th centuries. During the Wars of Religion, he was attacked, and during the Revolution, confiscated as national property after the emigration of his owner, Mme. de Basterot. In 1943, a blockhouse was built there by the Germans, and the bombings of 1944 revealed medieval parts until then hidden.

The castle chapel, located in the square tower, was accessible by a closed courtyard decorated with paintings in the 18th century. In 1787, it was described as "in good condition" by Vicar General Camiran, who authorized his use of culture. The castle, partially registered in 1988, was fully protected in 2013, including its moat, bridge and historic right of way. Despite its fragmentary state, it bears witness to medieval defensive architecture and its evolution throughout the centuries.

The historical descriptions highlight its original quadrilateral plan, with lined walls and a vaulted gallery on the ground floor, typical of fortified houses. The towers, initially covered, lost their roofs during World War II. Today, some have been restored (such as the square tower surmounted by a bird), while others remain uncovered. The site, although little highlighted, offers a rare example of Bordeaux military heritage, often gone.

Among his notable owners, Pierre Eyquem de Montaigne (uncle of the writer) acquired the castle between 1541 and 1573. The family kept it until the Revolution, when it was sold as a national good. In the 19th century, collapses due to the bombings revealed medieval structures, such as a basket cove vault and a round path. These discoveries enabled a better understanding of his primitive state, described in an inventory of 1574.

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