Château de Bassoues, donjon à Bassoues (Gers)
Château de Bassoues is a medieval fortress built on the edge of a small town with a 43 meter tall keep at its center and thick stone walls throughout. The main tower has four floors inside with fireplaces, a spiral staircase of nearly 200 steps leading to the top, and a walkway with openings for defenders to survey the land below.
The keep was built between 1368 and 1371 by Archbishop Arnaud Aubert as a defense during the Hundred Years War. In the 17th century repairs and additions were made to the fortress, and it was officially protected as a historical monument in 1840, making it one of the first sites in the area to receive such status.
The keep rises above the village as a reminder of the power once held here by church leaders and soldiers. Today visitors walk past its massive walls and discover how this fortress shaped the life of those who lived within its protection.
The keep is easily accessible on foot from the village center and sits on a raised point overlooking the surrounding lands. The climb to the top involves nearly 200 steps and is steep, but the views from the summit stretch across the countryside and nearby villages.
The tower contains nearly 200 steps in a tight spiral staircase that makes the climb demanding, but the four floors show original fireplaces and small toilet rooms built directly into the thick stone walls. These details reveal how people actually lived inside a medieval fortress.
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