Château de Lavardens

Lavardens has had a very turbulent history. It is first mentioned in texts dating back to 1140. In 1620, for the love of his young wife Suzanne de Bassabat, Antoine de Roquelaure started to rebuild the actual castle on the medieval foundations. He died in 1625 so was only able to oversee the beginning of the reconstruction. His descendants sold the castle in 1752 to Victor de Riquetti, Marquis de Mirabeau, who spent all his money on building work and sold it in 1765 to a Dragoon captain named Laclaverie de Soupex. One of his daughters, Philippine Catherine, married the Marquis de Pins in 1777. The Marquis became an émigré from the French Revolution and died in 1849.
In 1850 the de Pins children wanted to get rid of the castle but nobody wanted to buy it because it was unfinished and had been cleared of all its furniture under the Convention in 1793.

The Château de Lavardens then became easy prey for estate agents who sold it into collective ownership in 1852. The property was owned by twelve families who neglected the upkeep of the building and in 1923 the roof collapsed. Trees grew inside the building until 1957 when the local council ordered that the building must be demolished and the stones used elsewhere. At this point Vincent Steux arrived on the scene and changed the destiny of the castle which became a listed historic building in 1961. It was put into the hands of specialists and the corbelled construction and roof were restored between 1970 and 1975.
Today…

In 1979 Hubert Mothe set up an Association for the Safeguard of the Château with two essential aims : restoration and events organisation. In 2014 a new Association took over and in 2017 it launched a fundraising campaign to continue the renovation work. It also organises exhibitions and diverse events.
The impressive Château de Lavardens is very well situated, 20km north of Auch. Like a ship moored on a rocky spur, the castle keeps looks out over the village houses and the rolling countryside. The ancient capital of the Comtes d'Armagnac has several remains from medieval times including ramparts and narrow streets lined with delightful stone houses and hollyhocks.
During your tour of the castle, you can admire its unique ochre and brick-coloured tiled floors, exterior galleries, the ‘salle de l’écho’ (whispering room), temporary exhibitions of all types and panoramic views of the Gers countryside.
In June 2011, the village of Lavardens was classed as one of the « Loveliest Villages in France ». After visiting the castle, stroll through the village street, have a drink in the bar near the Mairie or eat in the castle restaurant. On four Wednesday evenings in summer, evening markets are held in the village with music groups, marching bands, stalls and local produce. A great time to spend an afternoon and evening in Lavardens.
If you like walking there is a pretty 10km circular walk around Lavardens which takes 3 hours following the path through the hills which surround the village. Starting from the castle, it takes you past la Croix du Barron, Chapelle Sainte-Marie, old mills, a wash pool and lots of beautiful views.