Château de Vieuzac

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château de Vieuzac, in Argelès-Gazost (Hautes-Pyrénées, 3 bis rue de Lourdes), refers to a complex of which only the medieval tower, known as the Tour de Vieuzac, survives as a remnant of a former fortified castle. About 20 metres high and 6 metres square, with five storeys and random rubble masonry, it served as a signal tower communicating with those of Vidalos and Saint-Savin. In 1647, Thomas Majourau sold the property to Germain II d'Antin, who undertook a major reconstruction of the manor house between 1664 and 1666, using salvaged stone from the former castle. The tower's roof was rebuilt as a pavilion roof in 1667. The Lassalle family, owners from 1771 to 1873, opened new windows and added balconies. The politician Michel Alicot, who acquired the estate in 1884, enlarged the villa (the west façade is dated to that year) and added crenellations and machicolations to the tower, using corbels from the Castet Naü d'Arras. In 1976, the commune of Argelès-Gazost acquired the whole complex (villa, medieval tower and park) to install a retirement home, which was extended by a modern building between 1976 and 1978.