Hôtel de Bastard-Castaing

Hôtel de Bastard-Castaing is an 18th-century town mansion in Lectoure, a small hilltop town in the Gers department of the Occitanie region in southwest France. It was built in the second half of the 18th century for Louis de Castaing, a royal counselor and civil-criminal magistrate at the presidial court of Lectoure, and his wife Marie-Marguerite de Bastard-Saint-Denis. Today the building houses the three-star hotel-restaurant Le Bastard and is listed as a French historic monument.

What is the story behind the building?

After the founders' deaths, the estate passed to their son François-Dominique de Castaing (1747–1821), an artillery officer who served as mayor of Lectoure from 1815 to 1819. He died childless, and the property went to his cousin Jean-Baptiste de Bastard. Following Jean-Baptiste's death in 1833, his widow kept a lively social salon there, receiving writers and poets, including Jean-François Bladé, a noted collector of Gascon folklore. During the 20th century the mansion lost its residential role entirely, serving first as a tobacco warehouse and later as a vocational school. The municipality carried out a full restoration in 1983, and the hotel-restaurant opened the following year.

What will you see on site?

The building has one upper floor above a raised ground floor and stands parallel to the street. Its facade features large ground-floor windows, projecting corner quoins, a horizontal band between storeys, and a moulded cornice. A stone entrance portal opens onto a pebble-paved courtyard that separates the main residence, to the west, from the outbuildings to the east. A series of steps leads from the courtyard up to the former garden, overlooked by the three-storey main facade. Inside, six ground-floor rooms retain their plasterwork decoration, alongside an entrance hall with its staircase — all of these, together with the portal, facades, roofs, outbuildings, terrace and garden, have been under heritage protection since October 8, 1984.

How do you get there?

The Hôtel de Bastard-Castaing stands right in the historic centre of Lectoure, a hilltop town overlooking the Gers valley, about 35 km north of Auch and just under 100 km west of Toulouse. Driving is the most practical option: Lectoure sits on the main road linking Agen and Auch, and parking is available close to the old town. The nearest larger rail stations are in Agen and Auch, both connected to Lectoure by regional bus.

When should you visit?

Late spring through early autumn (May to October) is the best window, offering comfortable weather for exploring the old town and the surrounding Gascon hills, while Le Bastard's restaurant runs at full capacity, including service in the garden of the former estate. Winter brings a much quieter town, which suits travellers looking for a calmer pace.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the Hôtel de Bastard-Castaing? The building operates as a working hotel-restaurant, so interior access is mainly reserved for guests staying overnight or dining there. The facades, portal and courtyard can be viewed freely from outside.

How is it different from the Hôtel de Bastard in Lectoure? It is a separate building. Lectoure has two distinct mansions linked to the Bastard family, standing in different parts of town, and they should not be confused despite the similar names.

Who built this mansion? It was built for Louis de Castaing, a magistrate at the presidial court of Lectoure, and his wife Marie-Marguerite de Bastard-Saint-Denis, in the second half of the 18th century.

Why is the building protected as a historic monument? Since 1984, heritage protection has covered the entrance portal, facades, roofs, outbuildings, terrace, garden, and six ground-floor rooms with their plasterwork, along with the entrance hall and staircase, recognising the architectural and historical value of this town residence.