Château de Lagardère: a 13th-century gascon castle

The Château de Lagardère, set in the commune of Lagardère, Gers, near Valence-sur-Baïse, is one of a few gascon castles with a confirmed 13th-century construction date. In 1270, the count of Armagnac Géraud V gave the territory of La Gardère to Auger, abbot of Condom, with authorization to build a fortified work. The castle was built by Guillaume de Nérac for the abbot Auger. It remained in the possession of the abbots, then the bishops of Condom until 1571, when it was sold to Pierre de Lavardac.

In 1621, the property was purchased by Jean de Maniban and remained in his family until 1791, after which it began to fall into ruin. Despite its current state, the castle is a massive, slightly trapezoidal structure measuring 25 meters long and between 10 and 12 meters wide. A massive tower extends to the south, featuring a square echauguette at the southeast corner, while two high, square turrets stand on the north face.

Access to the château was once through a door on the west at the ground level, which served as a cellar and featured a sink in a niche. While the exterior remains relatively homogeneous, the interior saw changes at an undetermined time, including the creation of refend walls and a division of the lower level by an entresol. The first floor was equipped with two ovens, one of which was used for bread.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons