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Origin and history

The remains of the château de Labrit, also known as château d'Albret, are located in the municipality of Labrit, in the Landes department. Built between 1225 and 1230 in land and wood, this site marks the cradle of the lords of Albret, a noble Gascon family whose influence extended until the accession to the throne of France of Henry IV. The castle, originally conceived as a wooden fortress, evolved with brick constructions and served as a seigneurial residence until the 15th century. He also played an economic role (market, toll, craftsmen) before being gradually abandoned.

Rediscovered in 1960 by Professor Jean Bernard Marquette, the site was acquired by the municipality between 1985 and 1988. Ranked a historic monument in 1990, it was the subject of archaeological excavations from 1992, led by Yan Laborie. This research revealed an architecture of earth fortifications typical of the 13th century and traces of daily life (kitchen, chapel, well) dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. The excavations also allowed to revise the initial dating: the castrum would have been built around 1225-1230, not in the 11th century as assumed before.

The château de Labrit is distinguished by its imposing castral motte and its defensive system adapted to the local clay soil, rare in sandy Landes. The high water table kept water ditches without proximity to a watercourse. Today, the site preserves ramparts of land, restored ditches and a modern reproduction of the 13th century seigneurial house, whose original archaeological remains are buried for their preservation. The chapel and the well delivered objects bearing witness to the aristocratic and peasant life of Upper Land.

The occupation of the site extends from the years 1225-1230 to the first half of the 17th century, although uncertainties persist on the location of the first seigneurial residence of the Albret, attested from the end of the 11th century. The strategic choice of this place, motivated by favorable geological conditions, reflects the political context of the time: a strengthening of the Anglo-Gascon domain after the loss of the Poitou and Saintonge. The Château de Labrit is thus part of a network of squares (Labouheyre, Bouricos) structuring the South-West of France.

Ranked in 1990 and owned by the municipality, the site is today a rare testimony of medieval castral architecture on earth. Excavations and studies, such as those published in 2021 by Jean Bernard Marquette and Yan Laborie, contributed to a better understanding of the way of life of rural and aristocratic society in the Great Land. The castle remains a symbol of the origins of the d'Albret dynasty, whose legacy culminates with the advent of Henry IV at the throne of France.

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