Portrait of a village - Montesquiou, the Gers

The Gers in France is full of beautiful villages, one of which is the Commune and Castelnau of Montesquiou. Montesquiou is the historic seat of the famous family of the same name, originating from the Counts of Fezensac and interwoven with the Montesquiou-d'Artagnan and Montesquiou-Monluc families.

Built on a rocky spur overlooking the river Osse, Montesquiou is a XIIth century castelnau which dominates the valley and wooded hillsides with views of the Pyrenees and the Gascony countryside. Although much of the castelnau was destroyed in the French Revolution, the village retains parts of the original fortifications amongst it's scenic streets. In addition to Montesquiou's rich history it also forms part of the pilgrims’ route of Santiago De Compostella which runs through the village starting at the tower gate (one of the oldest in the Gers).

This blog is snapshot of Montesquiou.