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Origin and history

Toulangergues Castle, located in Villeneuve en Aveyron, is an emblematic monument of the Rouergat heritage. Built in the late 15th century or early 16th century, it embodies the military and religious architecture of that time. Its rounded corners, typical of the early Middle Ages, and its sill windows testify to a transition between the fortress and the residential mansion. The castle was connected to a church of the tenth century, now classified, forming a harmonious whole.

Originally, Tulongergues belonged to the lords of Morlhon, presumed descendants of the "Mayors of the Palace", a hereditary dynasty. In 1051 Odil de Morlhon and his wife Cecile gathered there before their pilgrimage to Jerusalem, marking the religious importance of the site. In the 13th century, the Priory of Toulonnergues became a possession of the Abbey of Moissac after a dispute between the Bishop of Rodez and the Abbé of Moissac.

The present castle was built by Pons de Cardaillac, prior of Villeneuve and Toulangergues in the second half of the 15th century. Born of a noble and military line, he transformed a 13th century prioral house into a fortified mansion, reflecting his status as a cadet of a powerful chivalry lineage. The weapons carved above the door testify to his aristocratic heritage. The site, in ruins at the end of the 20th century, was restored and preserves a necropolis of the High Middle Ages.

Ranked Historic Monument in 1997 with its dovecote, the castle illustrates the evolution of religious and seigneurial powers in Rouergue. Its spiral staircase, 15th-century fireplaces and 18th-century woodwork reveal successive changes. Today, together with the nearby church, it forms a rare architectural ensemble, a witness to the medieval and modern history of Aveyron.

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