Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Poudelay Castle, located in the Ariegean Volvestre on the town of Fabas, is intimately linked to the history of the Gentile Verbigier of Saint Paul. This noble family, established in the region since the 16th century to exploit the local forests needed to make glass, marked the history of the castle. His most illustrious members, such as General Paul de Verbigier de Saint-Paul (1775-1850) and his son Gaston (1821-1878), Senator and Member of Parliament for Ariège, resided there. The castle, although partially renovated at the end of the 19th century, retains distinctive architectural elements such as a false dungeon and a rumped roof.

The castle of Poudelay is distinguished by its living room decorated with a panoramic wallpaper, Les Vues d'Italie, produced by the Joseph Dufour manufacture around 1820. This rare decorative element, as well as facades and roofs, were included in the inventory of Historic Monuments in 1997 (then confirmed in 2007). The estate, surrounded by a wooded park with a nearby chapel, reflects the influence of glassmakers and the architectural evolution between a revised feudal style and a bourgeois resort.

Private property not open to the public, the castle has had various vocations throughout the owners. Among its notable occupants is artist Jean-Luc Parant, who lived there in the 1980s-1990s. His story also illustrates the links between local aristocracy and political figures, as evidenced by the relationship between Gaston de Verbigier de Saint-Paul and the writer Octave Mirbeau, one of his trusted men.

Although sources evoke a possible medieval origin (strong house of the 15th century), the present building is mainly marked by its 19th and 20th century transformations. Its false dungeon, symbolic addition, and its overflowing roof recall the resort residences of the time, while its forest environment and adjacent stream (the Piche) highlight its anchoring in the Volvestre landscape.

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