Classified as "One of the most beautiful villages in France", Fourcès was built around a castle, destroyed in the 15th century, now replaced by a shady square, the Place des Cornières.
First stamped Castelnau, i.e. a village founded in the Middle Ages near a castle, Fourcès is the only circular bastide of the Gers.
The Cornières square and the castle
Around the Place des Cornières, medieval houses with oak jambs line up in a circle, next to more recent residences from the 17th and 18th centuries.
On this square... a hundred-year-old tree.
The current castle was built at the end of the reign of Louis XII and finished under that of François I. A magnificent construction widely opened to the light by large Renaissance bays and offering two wings flanked in their center by a round tower. A square tower includes a very beautiful stone staircase.
Since 1996, it has been dedicated to charming stays - Residence of the Castle - Bed and Breakfast of character - and has been restored and participates in the tourist reputation of the village.
The 13th century Clock Tower, the ancient gateway to the town, the richly planted arboretums and the bucolic walkways add to the pleasure of staying in this Gascon village of 300 inhabitants.
The churches of Sainte-Quitterie and Saint-Laurent...
Don't forget to visit the church of Sainte-Quitterie, considered the oldest in the region. The church of Laspeyres dedicated to Sainte Quitterie depended on the monastery of Romboeuf, another hamlet of Fourcés, formerly very important, former priory of the Templars attached to the order of Cluny. Following a violent storm which caused great damage, there remain today four interesting elements, a Romanesque stone baptismal cellar, a beautiful 17th century carved wooden altar, a 17th century Cruxifixion and a beautiful statue of Sainte-Quitterie which can be seen in the museum of the abbey of Flaran.
The imposing Saint-Laurent church, built in the Middle Ages, preserves the chevet and the cliché of Gothic style. The rest of the building has been, over the centuries, reworked and then partly rebuilt from 1869 to 1875. More recently, the stained glass windows have been restored with the help of the municipality.
The bridge...
Of medieval origin and shape, dating from the 15th century, the bridge allows to cross the river Auzoue. It is made up of two ogival arches in stone of beautiful fitting.
At the time of the fortified village and until the 18th century, it was only built on half of the river. Closed and covered, it was the place of meeting of the Jurade gathering the Magistrates of the city, ancestor of the city council born after the Revolution of 1789.
Town hall of Fourcès
Le Village,
32250 Fourcès
Tel : 05 62 29 40 13
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