Château Lascour, Medieval castle in Laudun-l'Ardoise, France

Château Lascour consists of three U-shaped buildings and a connecting wall that form a courtyard with a portal decorated in rusticated stone patterns. This arrangement creates an enclosed space that defines the architectural character of the whole structure.

The castle is a former fortified stronghold from the 12th century, rebuilt and altered several times over the centuries. Its surviving features include an entrance portal, a Salle des États Généraux with a monumental fireplace and terracotta tile floor, a gypsum fountain niche, and a chapel door. The castle, with its terraces, moats, and bridge, was listed as a monument historique in 2008.

The Academy of Lascour has gathered members from cinema, medicine, and politics since 1988 for regular meetings. This ongoing intellectual activity gives the castle a living role beyond its historical walls.

The castle is not open for regular visits and access is limited to special events and guided tours arranged in advance. Plan ahead to contact organizers and secure a spot on a tour.

The castle is not the only one of its name in the Gard: a homonym stands at Boisset-et-Gaujac, and the two are often confused. The Academy housed here takes as its emblem the Dame à la rose, a former owner of the castle, and its motto is "Sapientiae rosa Rhodani dumeto".