Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Douazan, sometimes called a mansion, was built in the 15th century on foundations of the 12th century near Nerac, in Lot-et-Garonne. In 1562, Captain Pierre de Courtion, lord of Douazan, suffered a defeat against Blaise de Monluc at the Battle of the Galaup, where 400 to 500 Protestants died. In 1601 the seigneury passed to John II of Mazelières, captain of the guards of Henry IV, which enlarged the house.

In the 19th century, the castle was restored by Joseph Victorien Larroze, former mayor of Nerac and cousin of Armand Fallières. But it was in the 20th century that he acquired a major historical dimension: in 1920, the Marquis Luigi Della Torre, Milanese socialist senator, acquired it to settle Italian refugees fleeing fascism. Under the leadership of Luigi Campolonghi, the estate became the headquarters of the agricultural company "La Terra" and a home of Italian antifascism.

Between 1924 and 1931, Douazan was home to the Italian League of Human Rights (LIDU), founded by Campolonghi and Alceste De Ambris. The castle hosts major opposition figures in Mussolini, such as Pietro Nenni, Sandro Pertini and Silvio Trentin. In October 1926, he held the first Italian antifascist congress in exile, marking the creation of the Concentrazione Antifascista. The domain, a place of commemorations and meetings, symbolizes democratic resistance against dictatorship.

Architecturally, Douazan combines a body of medieval houses flanked by square towers and a fortified hexagonal tower, typical of gasconic residences. The dovecote of the 16th century and the commons of the 18th century complete the whole, partially classified as historical monuments in 1993. The site, perched on the Motte-Douazan, offers a panorama of the Landes forest and the Baisian valley.

Cultural life was intense: concerts, banquets and political meetings succeeded, mixing Italian exiles and French personalities. After the Campolonghi left in 1931, the castle lost its political role but remained a symbol of European democratic struggles. Today, it embodies both the gascon heritage and an unknown page in the transnational history of antifascism.

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