CHATEAU
Château d'Empeaux is a private property in the heart of the village, representative of the local heritage. Access: not open to visitors, visible only from the outside.
The privately-owned château was built in the late 16th century by the Lambes family, and later became the home of the Italian Cathala (or Catellan) family.
In 1607, François Cathala became Lord of Empeaux and Lamasquère. The château was later occupied by the Doujat family. Jean Doujat is famous for his wit and his maintenance of the jeux floraux. He joined the Académie Française in 1650. Henri-Joseph Doujat, son of Baron d'Empeaux and Claire le Comte, dame de Saiguède, was an officer and Seigneur d'Empeaux during the French Revolution.
In the second half of the 19th century, the Château was remodeled in the medieval ?Viollet-le-duc? style by the Toulousian jeweler Lautier. Les Lambes and half of Saiguède form a barony, with Empeaux as its center and castle. The barons were the Cathalas, advisors to the King, and then the Doujats, who owned 115 hectares of land. The hamlet of La Rivière, to the north, was home to the brewers. Empeaux had 186 inhabitants in 1893.
(Sources: Empeaux town hall)