Château de Lasserade

Château de Lasserade is a 19th-century manor house in Lasserrade, a small commune in the Gers department of Gascony, southwestern France. Built on the footprint of an earlier medieval stronghold, it stands today as a notable example of the region's residential architecture and is partially protected as a historic monument.

How do you get there?

Lasserrade sits in the heart of Gascony, in the Occitanie region, within the rural network of small communes that make up the Gers department. A car is the practical way to reach it, since public transport in this part of southwestern France is sparse and the surrounding countryside — rolling fields, farms, and scattered hamlets — is best explored at your own pace. The château rises from this open Gascon landscape rather than from a dense town center.

What will you see?

The current building was constructed between 1837 and 1840, during the July Monarchy, in a style drawing on Louis XV classicism. It was commissioned by Théodore de Laterrade, who raised the new residence on land that had previously held an older fortified structure. Traces of that earlier chapter are still legible in the landscape: the 1826 Napoleonic cadastral survey shows the outline of moats consistent with a castelnau, a fortified settlement historically known locally as La Serrada.

The property's documented ownership stretches back to at least the 17th century. In 1634, under the reign of Louis XIII, the estate belonged to the de Sérignac family. At the close of the 18th century, in 1799, Louis Antoine de Sérignac sold the land to Etienne de Laterrade — and it was this family, a generation later, that built the château visitors see today.

The Laterrade family held the estate until 1902, when Léon de Laterrade, son of the château's builder Théodore, died. The property went up for sale, and in 1903 it was bought by Louise Bonnafont, a local woman who went on to marry Gaston Ecomard. That sale closed nearly a century of continuous ownership by a single family.

Recognizing its historical and architectural layering, the château was partially listed as a Historic Monument (Inscrit Monument Historique) on 8 August 2013 — a designation that acknowledges both the medieval origins of the site and the 19th-century classical residence built on top of them.

When should you visit?

Gascony is at its most pleasant in spring and early autumn, when temperatures are mild and the surrounding fields and orchards haven't yet baked under the summer sun. Summers can run hot, but they also bring local festivals and opportunities to sample regional products, including the armagnac brandy the Gers department is famous for. Since the château remains a private or restricted-access property, it's worth checking current visiting arrangements before planning a trip.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Château de Lasserade? The building is only partially protected as a historic monument, and interior access can be limited depending on its current use and ownership — check ahead before visiting.

How old is the château? The present building dates from 1837–1840, but the site itself is far older. Traces of the original fortified settlement go back to the medieval period, and documented ownership records begin in the 17th century.

Who built the current château? Théodore de Laterrade built the residence during the July Monarchy, on land his family had owned since it was purchased from the de Sérignac family in 1799.

Where exactly is the château located? In the commune of Lasserrade, in the Gers department, Occitanie region, in the heart of historic Gascony in southwestern France.