the history of the tower
The architecture of the castle
The history of the castle
The castle of Termes d’Armagnac is a typical monument of Gascon architecture from the 13th century. Most probably built by Roger I of Armagnac Termes in the middle of the 13th century, this vast medieval Gascon palace was built in the “terms” of the county of Armagnac in order to assert its power and protect its borders against the Count of Bigorre. Indeed, the period is marked by numerous conflicts between the protagonists of the local nobility.
This building, like many nearby examples, is made up of an imposing main building, four levels of 250m² each, on which is flanked an imposing square keep, called tower-rooms. The rooms of the dungeon essentially constitute the rooms of the lords. 36 meters high, it is certainly at its origin, covered with a protective hoard as evidenced by the corbels on the top of the facades. At the site's medieval heyday, an imposing system of moats with three ditches surrounded and protected the castle and its church.
The castle of Termes d'Armagnac saw the illustrious Thibaud de Termes, born in 1405, grow up. As a younger brother, he lived very little at the castle and we assume that as he approached his 12th birthday, he left the house. patriarchal to become a knight and enlisted at a very young age in the army of Charles VII against the English invasion. Companion in arms of Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War from 1337 to 1453, his military career then continued, and was crowned with the title of grand bailiff (representative of the royal authority) of Chartres and the Chartres region. .
The castle underwent numerous transformations between the 13th and 21st centuries. It remained in the Armagnac-Termes family and its descendants from its construction until the French Revolution when it was then sold as national property at auction to Maitre Lajoye, notary of Nogaro, who began to use it as a career. of wood and stone. Then sold to the former magistrate, Olivier de Maignon de Roques, his descendants ended up demolishing the main building, to the point of abandoning the castle. In 1960, it was purchased by the municipality which began its restoration, leaving it to the associations to provide entertainment. The site was classified as a historic monument in 1962, the first of many stages in safeguarding the heritage of Termes d’Armagnac.
