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Origin and history

The Larnagol Castrum, located on a rocky spur overlooking the Lot, dates back to the Middle Ages, with dating remains from the 11th century. The tower with flat buttresses, partially buried, and adjacent masonries bear witness to an ancient occupation, with modifications in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The archatures in the middle of the pit and the geminous bays, typical of the religious and civil architecture of the period, suggest a gradual fortification of the site.

In the 15th century, the castrum was already structured into two terraces, with a 'superior' castle and a 'lower' castle. Medieval remains include a braided tower, foothills, and elevations with geminied bays, while 16th-century cachots and a vaulted cistern complete defensive developments. The site, mentioned in 13th-century texts as property of the Barasc and the Viscounts of Calvignac, passes into the hands of several noble families, including the Caussade de Puycornet.

From the 17th century, the castle was acquired by the family of Laporte, which undertook a major reconstruction of the 'lower' castle between 1705 and 1729, under the direction of Jean de Laporte. Master mason François Fortier directs the works, including a monumental staircase and Regency decorations executed by the Italian stuccotor Marc Orsini. Architectural elements, such as balusters and columns bought at the Château de Saint-Sulpice (1768-1771), enrich the building.

In the 19th century, the castle was divided: the 'superior' castle became communal property in 1870, housing town hall and schools, while the 'lower' castle passed into the hands of local families and then the ironmaker of Raymond Subes in 1924. The latter brought enrichment at the beginning of the twentieth century. The site, registered with the Historical Monuments in 2001, retains traces of its medieval past despite subsequent transformations.

The excavations and studies, especially those of Valérie Rousset (2002), reveal a continuous occupation since the 11th century, with phases of reconstruction in the 13th-XIVth centuries and a major overhaul in the 18th century. The castrum, originally linked to the lordship of Larnagol, illustrates the architectural and social evolution of a Querynian fortification, marked by noble alliances and functional adaptations.

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