Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Larrazet was built from 1500 under the impulse of Jean de Cardaillac, Abbé de Belleperche, marking a transition to the Renaissance style in the region. The building, rectangular with a wing in return, initially consisted of four levels, machicoulis and towers, now disappeared after reshuffles in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its four-fold staircase, organized around a vaulted central core, is one of the first examples of Italian staircases in Occitanie, illustrating the influence of new architectural trends.

In 1572, the castle served as a refuge for the monks of the Abbey of Belleperche, sacked by the Huguenots. Subsequent transformations (after 1793) removed its upper stage and towers, altering its original plan. Despite these changes, the castle retains remarkable elements such as French ceilings, ground chimneys, and vaulted cellars in the middle of the hanger or in warheads, some adorned with carved caps (vegetal or figurative).

Ranked a Historical Monument in 1990, the castle is attributed to the masters of work Jean de Massaris and Antoine de Moissac. Today, it opens to the public in the summer, highlighting its architectural heritage, including the monumental staircase and interior decorations, witness to the fusion between the late Gothic and the early Renaissance in the southwest.

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