The
first defensive castle was
founded by the antique Loubens family who came from La Réole in the
Gironde area near Bordeaux. The knight Guillaume de Loubens left in 1096
for the first crusade at the side of Raymond IV de Saint-Gilles, Count of
Toulouse.
In the course of the middle-ages we are able
to trace the complete genealogy of the family, starting with Lobens the
first of Lobens, buried in 1288 in Toulouse.
Arnaud, who was a counselor to the Pope Benoit the XII, founded in 1337
one of the first universities in Toulouse : the Verdalle College. The history
of Loubens is linked to that of Cathare Heresia : Dame Berbéguiéra
wife to the sire of Loubens, thus told the Inquisitor Ferrier en 1243, having
"often visited in their houses cathares the perfects".
I t was during the
pastel (woad) "golden age" that
Jacques de Loubens, greately enlarged
the house. His brother Hugues de Verdalle, born in Loubens in 1531, became
Great Master of the Malta Order in 1582, a Prince and a Cardinal. The castle then became the property of the Bournazel, a family
who originated from the Rouergue region. At this point, the castle was little
by little left uncared for and served mainly to store the grains of the
domain.
The Capitoul of
Toulouse Joseph-François
de Gounon (who is pictured here) bought the property in 1768. His son,
Jean-Mathieu redesigned the entire interior of the castle. Among Jean-Mathieu many children, Jules and Victor
de Gounon-Loubens left a lot to remember for. The castle has since always
stayed in the family. Their niece, Clothilde-Louise de Gounon-Loubens married
the 3rd Marquis d'Orgeix, a family from the Haute-Ariège region,
the grandfather of the current owner.
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