Pouylebon

Situated on a high spur of the Gers hillsides, theancient Podium Bonum from the Middle Ages dominates the Osse and Bouès valleys at an altitude of 268 metres.

The castle appears to have been preceded by a word as early as the 10th century. The village of Pouylebon, a small fortified castral town typical of the Gers, dates from the 13th century. Until the end of the 15th century, its fate was linked to that of the barony of Anglès. The Montesquiou family lived there for 450 years, until 1782.

The old centre, including thechurch and cemetery, was once surrounded by ramparts and had two gates opening onto a single street. The gate tower (listed monument) dates from the 13th century (the other gate from the same period is incorporated into the castle, which underwent major restoration work in 1767).

The foundations of Sainte-Anne church date back to the 10th century and it has undergone several alterations, including a major one in the 19th century when part of it was demolished and rebuilt, with the 15th-century bell tower wall, some of whose remains are still visible, being abandoned.
Pouylebon is on one of the four routes to Santiago de Compostela (the via tolosana, which comes from Provence with stops at Arles and Saint Guilhem le Désert). It was served by a church known as "de l'Hôpital", which has now disappeared.