Château de Miramont, Manor estate in Adast, France

The Château de Miramont is a four-level stone manor with a raised central section topped by a triangular pediment and two symmetrical wings ending in pavilions with independent hipped slate roofs. Round dormer windows pierce the roofs, four brick-colored chimneys stand along the main roofline, and green vines climb the lower walls.

The château was built between the late 1600s and early 1700s for Gabrielle Caubotte de Miramont, replacing an earlier defensive structure on the same site. This transition marked a shift from military fortress to residential manor.

Cyprien Despourrins, born in 1698 and the son of Gabrielle Caubotte de Miramont, lived at the château from 1729 until his death there in 1759. He wrote in Occitan and French, and is remembered for pastoral songs set in the surrounding Lavedan valleys. The château remained in the Despourrins family until the mid-19th century.

The château opens to visitors during European Heritage Days, giving access to explore its interior spaces and layout. Plan to spend time moving through each level to appreciate the building's organization.

Jacques Chancel, born Joseph Crampes in neighbouring Ayzac-Ost, bought the estate from Dr Calot's daughters in the late 1960s and received Nicolas Sarkozy and François Bayrou there. He died in Paris on 23 December 2014 and was buried on 8 January 2015 in the crypt of the château's chapel.