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Origin and history

The Château du Cros, located in the village of Le Cros (Herault, Occitanie), finds its origins in the 16th century as a summer residence of the bishops of Lodève. Originally a simple three-storey house, it belonged to the ecclesiastical seigneury of the diocese of Lodève. It was not until 1577, when René de Birague, bishop of Lodève, sold the seigneury to Jacques D'Albesquier, that the estate passed into secular hands and became a seigneurial castle. Several noble families will succeed them for more than two centuries, until the French Revolution.

From 1792, the seigneury of the Cros was abolished and became a commune, while the castle and its outbuildings (park, agricultural buildings and 400 hectares of land) were converted into private property under the name of "the Cros estate". Managed by farmers for the land and reserved for owners for the castle and its park, the estate retained its organization until the 1960s and 1970s, when some of the buildings and lands were sold. Today, only the castle and its park, located in the heart of the village, remain.

The architecture of the castle reflects its successive transformations: initially conceived as a three-storey house, the structure was modified by the lay lords after 1577. The castle has a courtyard of honor to the south, as well as a square tower and a round tower, while a large park extends north. Although private property, it is listed in the General Inventory of Cultural Heritage, highlighting its historical and architectural importance.

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