Castle of Lavardens Unusual Visits in Lavardens

Listed as a Historic Monument in 1961, the Castle of Lavardens was rebuilt by Antoine de Roquelaure, on the ruins of the Castle of the Counts of Armagnac. Built on a rocky outcrop, the fortress of the Counts of Armagnac benefited from a vast visual field which allowed surveillance and security. Born of a love story, this castle takes its current form with the Marshal of France, Antoine de Roquelaure, who built this building for his young wife, Suzanne de Bassabat. Sometimes a noble residence, sometimes a condominium with twelve occupants, its uses and its transformations were multiple, the castle lived many lives and adventures over the centuries. Saved by an association, the Castle of Lavardens is also available around an art center hosting exhibitions and events throughout the season. Camille Claudel, Dali, the art of Santon… so many discoveries each year in the many rooms of the castle.

SUCH A SINGULAR ARCHITECTURE

Built on a rocky outcrop, the fortress of the Counts of Armagnac benefited from a vast visual field which allowed surveillance and security. Only a few remains of the medieval castle remain. It is at the western end of the main body of the castle and opposite in the south-eastern wing that the most important remains of the initial fortress are preserved. In 1620, Antoine de Roquelaure surrounded himself with two great architects: Pierre Souffron, general architect of the king, and Pierre Levesville, one of the architects of the cathedral of Auch. The castle uniquely combines the nascent classical taste with the maintained feudal posture.

The castle of Lavardens holds the attention by its exceptional belvedere aspect, obtained thanks to a balcony developed on three facades, to the abundant fenestration of immense casements and to overhanging turrets. It was designed to enjoy the widest horizon, it is one of the most beautiful views of Gascony. The west towers, built in the 17th century, rest on the buttresses of the medieval castle. They rise cantilevered over the corbels or squinches. The towers are a real architectural feat of the time. They are only places of passage and allow to connect the galleries between them. On the south facade, a wooden gallery rested on the stone corbels.

By its imposing appearance, the castle makes few concessions to the decor but it has a beautiful interior adornment: an exceptional set of floors from the 17th century. The castle has seventeen rooms with different pavements. They are made of pink bricks (local terracotta) and carved stones (light local limestone). The patterns, which are different in each of the rooms, seem to have a meaning. No other monument is known with such a diversity of pavements.