Fortified cities
The occupation of the Gascon lands since the Neolithic period and the rivalries between villages led the inhabitants to organize themselves very early. Roquelaure, Lectoure, Eauze, Vic-Fezensac or Lombez are among the first oppidums of the Gers. These fortified villages played on topographical singularities for their defense. Located on rocky spurs dominating the surroundings, or on the contrary, hidden in the meanders of a river at the bottom of a valley, these "cities" play a social, political and economic role. They are protected by reinforced embankments, ramparts or surrounding walls. The oppidum of La Sioutat (Roquelaure), discovered in 1960, is the subject of regular excavations and reveals a remarkable archaeological potential. The remains of the first stone building in the Gers, post holes that supported houses and aerial granaries, Roman domus and a defensive ditch have been unearthed. The insecurity that reigned over Gascony in the Middle Ages led the inhabitants to regroup, creating new urbanistic schemes. The Catholic Church, powerful, inaugurates zones of asylum called "sauvetés". Boundaries were placed around the churches, creating a space within which the inhabitants could take refuge without risk of aggression. This was the case in the town of Nogaro, founded in 1055 and placed under the protection of the archbishopric of Auch. In the 12th century, the lords built castles called "castelnau", literally "new castle", at the foot of which the inhabitants built their houses. Several villages in the Gers bear witness to this trend, such as Castelnau-sur-l'Auvignon, Castelnau-Barbarens, founded around 1140, or Castelnau-d'Arbieu. In the 13th century, the urban expansion led to the invention of a new type of city: the bastide. It is the planning of a new town, on a piece of land given by a local lord or by the Church. It follows a regular layout with perpendicular streets based on the Pythagorean theorem. The intersection of the two main streets marks the center of the village, and also constitutes a corner of the main square, often with a large shopping hall in its center. The bastides were built in a single period between 1222 and 1373. The Gers is one of the best endowed departments of the South-West, with its 43 bastides, the most beautiful examples of which can be visited in Mirande, Montreal, Fourcès, Cologne or Fleurance. At the same time, many fortified villages were created. They include an enclosure with one or two gates, a castle or a fortified tower, a village and a church. The castles of these villages had a residential function rather than a military one. Mas-d'Auvignon, Montesquiou, Sarrant and Larressingle are good examples of fortified villages.
Castles and mansions
The fragmentation of power and authority in medieval Gascony gave rise to numerous castles, with a defensive and military vocation. They are scattered all over the territory and not only in the castelnaux or fortified villages. They have common characteristics that allow to define a Gascon style. Firstly, they are placed in strategic locations, on promontories or along busy roads. Secondly, they present a massive and austere architecture, with a low occupation of the ground and few openings. The forms are simple, the angles right and the volumes impressive. The most significant example is the castle of Sainte-Mère, built in the XIIIth century and which did not undergo any alteration of size. The Gascon castle can also be reduced to a simple tower, called a "room", which is then used as an arms room or a courtroom. The Lomagne region has a certain number of them, such as in Lectoure, Plieux or Estrépouy. The pacification of the territory completed in the 17th century allowed the renewal of the castles. The rooms are embellished with buildings, corner pavilions replace the massive towers, the facades are pierced with days. The castles of Lavardens or Caumont in Cazaux-Savès are examples of this. The XVIIIth century saw the flowering of the chartreuses. The nobles and great bourgeoisie had their country houses built, in a dominant position, surrounded by gardens and agricultural land. They were accompanied by one or more farm buildings. They are still today private properties sheltered from prying eyes.
Religious heritage
As a Catholic region, the Gers boasts over 1,200 churches, chapels and abbeys. There's not a village that doesn't stand out with its steeple pointing skywards. The religious heritage of the Gers is extraordinarily diverse. From Romanesque chapels to imposing cathedrals, all styles are represented. Some buildings are surprising in their majesty, the originality of their steeples and the singularity of their architecture. Others still bear the scars of Gascony's turbulent history. Between the various wars and the ravages of time, many of these churches were remodeled in the 19th century. Their neo-Gothic style, inspired by Viollet-Le-Duc, sometimes disfigured them. Among the most emblematic are the Collégiale de La Romieu with its delicate cloister, the church of Barran with its spiral bell tower, the Abbey of Flaran, a jewel of Cistercian art, and the indescribable brick church of Bascous, the emblematic wall steeple of Gaudonville church, themassive church of Saint-Christaud, the bulbous slate steeple of Termes-d'Armagnac and thefortified church of Notre-Dame de Simorre. The Gers is also a land of chapels. They were built on ancient places of worship. They are most often built on an east-west axis, in Romanesque style, with a short nave ending in a "cul-de-four" choir. Canal tiles cover the vault, and the whole is topped by a wall-belfry with one or two bells. The portal is preceded by an "amban" or canopy, allowing the faithful to gather under cover. There are still almost 800 chapels in the Gers countryside. But this is a fragile, poorly-maintained heritage, and many medieval chapels and towers have collapsed due to lack of attention, as in Monferran-Savès and Lasseube-Propre in 2024.
