CastleEspinas-Cas

Château de Cas

Château de Cas

To be privately owned

The Château de Cas is a castle located in the commune of Espinas in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne.

History+

The castle, a defensive stronghold, was built in the 9th century on a site occupied by the Gallo-Romans. It was part of the possessions of the commandery of La Capelle-Livron during the Hospitaller period. It was remodeled in the 14th century and then in the 17th century. The garden dates from the 18th century (the current one is only inspired by it, having been destroyed in the past), as does the dovecote. Claude-Marie, Count of Lastic Saint-Jal, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Aiguillon, cavalry brigadier and governor of Carcassonne, settled there during the 18th century: in 1787, he married Henriette de Lacapelle, daughter of the owner of the premises, then a widow. The chapel, which dates from 960, houses the family vault. The castle has never been put up for sale since 1437, being passed down from generation to generation and through successive alliances. Heavily damaged during the Revolution (furniture plundered, coats of arms burned, keep and a tower lowered), it was restored at the end of the 19th century (roof and windows), then again damaged during the Second World War: indeed, the owners had hidden ammunition for the Free French Forces in a room in the basements and then walled it up. Learning that they had been denounced, they nevertheless had time to move them to caves located in the surrounding cliffs. The Germans therefore searched in vain for the ammunition and, in retaliation, damaged the castle. It was restored from the 1980s by Lyonnel and Jeanne de Lastic. The monument has been listed as a historical monument since October 11, 1984. It preserves archives, some of which date from 1310. In 2015, the castle won the grand trophy for the most beautiful restoration, awarded by Propriétés de France, Le Figaro Magazine and the Fondation pour les monuments historiques, in partnership with La Demeure historique. The room known as "Louis XIV" is said to have hosted Philip IV the Fair. Jean-Albert de Lastic, nephew by his mother of the Countess of Ségur, is also said to have served as a model for Un bon petit diable. The castle has been open to visitors since 1983. It is also rented for weddings and seminars.

Notes and references+
See also+

Dovecote of Cas

Internal links+

List of castles in Tarn-et-Garonne List of Templar commanderies in Midi-Pyrénées List of historical monuments in Tarn-et-Garonne

External links+

Resource related to architecture: Mérimée

Portal of the Order of the Temple Portal of the castles of France Portal of Tarn-et-Garonne Portal of French historical monuments Portal of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem Portal of the High Middle Ages

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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: Hervé Rebours

This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.

Location: 44.2003, 1.7716