LAVARDEN CASTLE

On its rocky spur, it has kept the flamboyance that Antoine de Roquelaure wanted to give it during its reconstruction in the ^17th century. This companion of Henri IV decided to modernize the medieval castle of the ^XIIth century of the counts of Armagnac. He wanted to make it a comfortable home for his great love Suzanne de Bassabat. All that remains of the old building is a guard room. But the two architects who worked on the new building were able to preserve its feudal posture while infusing it with modernity. The belvedere with its three-faced balcony and the towers on trumpets are exceptional. A plague epidemic ravaged the area in 1653 and the work was interrupted. This was only the first of the vicissitudes that the castle would experience during the centuries that followed. Unfinished, the house has few decorative elements. One can still admire the ^18th century pavements of different styles in each of the 17 rooms. The castle was split up and sold to 12 families of property dealers after the Revolution. They let the building fall into ruins to such an extent that nature took over the walls and the rooms. In the 1960s, it was almost turned into a quarry. A handful of enthusiasts opposed this and had the house classified as a historical monument. Restoration and embellishment work was carried out and the castle became the setting for numerous events and exhibitions. The fortress deserves a visit for its incredible view and its history is fascinating.