In the middle of ages around 1200, the first lord of Birac received le "Castrum de Birac" from the Earl of Toulouse. In the middle of this domain, there stood quite a big castle. The Lord of Birac was as was the custom of the feudal system "vassal" of the Earl of Toulouse, who was his "overlord". During the two following centuries, and following the wedding of Alienor d'Aquitaine with the King of England, Henri Plantagenêt, the Aquitaine became an English province and the lords of Birac were "vassals" of the King of England - the war was raging between the King of France who wanted to keep the Aquitaine and the English who wanted to stay there.
Most of the big castle of Birac was destroyed and burnt during this confrontation( you can see the ruins 1 km away from the present village).
The descendants of these first lords of Birac moved, then, to a small hillock which overlooked the plain of the Garonne.
Charles de Noaillon sells the fief in 1478 to Jacques de Lard who married Anne de Galard. He was the one who at the end of the 14th century or at the beginning of the 15 th had the lord house built which will call the "Castel of Birac". Their daughter who inherited the castle married the Earl of Narbonne in 1596.
At the feudal time, the Lord, his family, his servants, his farmers, all the people who were working for him, (baker, blacksmith, serf...) lived inside the castle, which explains the big size of feudal castles.
Later, at the Renaissance, the Lord and his family lived under the same roof, but the people who were working for him lived then outside the castle and built their own house.
This explains the small size of the dwellings of these "small lords". Thanks to these different buildings, a street was born leading to the church of the village ; the houses next door date back to the same period, but have been restored over centuries in keeping with the style of the day.
Most of the archives of the domain of Birac have moved to the Tower of London. The last aristocrat who lived in the castle was Knight Dresme.
He was a soldier, knight of the Order of Louis Commander of the National Guard of Birac.
During the French Revolution, he joined the Regiment of the Knights of St-Louis, who defended the King Louis XVI besieged in the Tuileries in Paris.
Back in Marmande and in Birac in order to try to save his property, he was arrested, guillotined and his property sold in an auction ... (1793).
His property was broken up during this auction. The dwelling has been protected by its different owners - the great grand-mother of the present owners bought it in the years 1900's.
In 1999, a complete restoration was achieved and the building refound all the magnificience it had at the Renaissance, but equipped with all modern conveniences.
Lands were bought and the domain stretches now on 21/2 ha.
It is possible to stroll in a beautiful park, with a formal garden and a swimming-pool. The village is peaceful. The bells of the church ring for the mattins, the angelus. All this adds charm to the life at Birac.
Please note that the warden lives inside domain, in a lovely house which has also been restored and that he keeps a watchul eye on the tenants of the Castel.
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