Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Uza Castle is a property located in the commune of Uza, in the Landes, New Aquitaine. Built in the 2nd quarter of the 20th century (1929), it replaces a medieval fortress erected by the Montferrand family, then transformed into a seigneurial residence in the 17th and 19th centuries. The current building, of quadrangular plan with towers, retains the route of the primitive castle but adopts a style inspired by Tuscan medieval villas, with terraces, loggias and canned columns. Its architect, Jean Prunetti, completely modernizes the structure for the Marquis Bertrand de Lur-Saluce, while preserving the interior decorations of the 1920s-1930s.

The history of the site dates back to the Middle Ages, when the Montferrand family erected a fortress on an artificial castral motte (called tuk in gascon). In 1472, Isabeau de Montferrand, heiress of the place, married Pierre de Lur, uniting the two lines. Their descendant, Jean de Lur, married in 1586 Charlotte Catherine de Saluces, the last heir of the Marquisat de Saluces, thus sealing the name Lur-Saluces linked to Uza. The family retained the estate until the 20th century, when the castle was radically reshaped.

The park, redesigned around 1930, relies on an older landscape, while the interiors mix historical furniture and Art Deco trends. A fresco of 1890 in the church of St.Louis of Uza attests to the medieval aspect of the castle before its transformation. Ranked a Historic Monument in 2004, the site includes the castle and its entire park, testifying to almost six centuries of architectural and family history.

The current architecture, marked by terraces replacing the original conical roofs, a gallery on the ground floor and a balcony on the noble floor, reflects the Italian influence revisited by Prunetti. The canned columns of the loggias and the central pavilion reinforce this aesthetic. Despite the modifications, the quadrangular plan and towers recall the medieval defensive structure, creating a dialogue between the epochs.

The castle of Uza thus illustrates the evolution of a seigneurial site from fortress to aristocratic residence, then to heritage monument. Its inscription in 2004 underscores its historical and architectural value, while preserving the traces of the families of Montferrand and Lur-Saluces, major actors of its past.

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