The town of Lectoure in the Gers department has a rich history dating back to its first occupation during prehistory. In the Middle Ages, Lectoure became the capital of Lomagne and the main town of the County of Armagnac. At the height of its power, this small county gradually grew and then comprised two nuclei: one in Gascony south of the Garonne and the other in Rouergue and Auvergne. Endowed with many possessions, the Counts of Armagnac chose to settle in Lectoure, where the royal and episcopal influence seemed less preeminent. The status of the town as the region's best-defended bastion also influenced their decision.