Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The fortified gate of Saint-Yors, located in Bazian in Occitanie, is the last vestige of the fortifications of the medieval castelnau of Saint-Yors. Built in limestone with a broken arch and a vaulted corridor in a cradle, it probably dates back to the late Middle Ages, specifically the second half of the 13th century. The gate tower, on one floor, housed a guard who could operate a harrow from his room, while an exterior staircase led to the courtine, which had now disappeared. The fortified village, surrounded by an enclosure and a ditch, was administered by consuls and a seigneurial bay, with customs granted to the inhabitants in 1307.

The castelnau of Saint-Yors developed north of the castle of the family of Lasséran, a younger branch of the Montesquiou. The houses, standardized to 24 razes long for 12 wide, were protected by fortifications still mentioned in 1599. The village, independent until 1840, was attached to Bazian after its gradual disappearance, marked by its absence on the cadastre of 1835. Today, only the gate tower and a few meters from the wall of the enclosure remain, classified as Historical Monuments in 1973.

The gate, typical of the fortified villages of the region, illustrates the medieval defensive organization. Its vaulted corridor, initially protected by vantals, and bar locking system reflect local fortification techniques. The site, although partially erased, bears witness to the feudal and community history of Occitanie, where the castellals played a central role in the structure of the territory and the protection of the populations.

Historical sources, such as the terrier book studied by Benoît Cursente, confirm the persistence of fortifications until the 16th century. The map of Cassini (18th century) still bears witness to its existence, before its definitive disappearance in the 19th century. Today, the fortified gate of Saint-Yors, with its protected facades and roofs, offers a rare example of medieval civil military architecture in the Gers.

External links