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Origin and history

The Segadenes Moulin Tower, located in Soturac in the Lot (Occitanie), is a medieval building built near the Thèze. Although the first texts mentioning it date back to the 15th century, its sculpted geminied and capital berries suggest an origin at the end of the 13th century. The presence of archeries indicates that it served as a noble den, without a marked military vocation. A hypothesis links its construction to the brother of Pope John XXII, because of the name Frésapa worn by a nearby mill, associated with the Duèze family.

The first attested occupants are the de Jas, a family of Pyrenean blacksmiths settled after the Hundred Years' War. In 1450, Arnaud de Jas, lord of the place, passed on the estate to his descendants, including Marie de Jas. She first married John Antoine de Viguier (1579), then John III du Rieu (1589), insuring the transmission of Ségadenes to their son Pierre du Rieu in the 17th century. The latter, the king's gentleman in 1622, founded the branch of the Rieu de Séverac.

The tower, combining residential and artisanal functions (iron mould), illustrates the adaptation of noble dens to local economic activities. Its inscription in historical monuments in 2013 underscores its heritage interest, linked to its defensive architecture and its complex family history, mixing Querkyn nobility and iron trades.

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