Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de la Piscine, located at 129 avenue de Lodève in Montpellier, is a madness (residence of pleasure) built in the second half of the eighteenth century. It replaces a former hunting mas, the Peyssine estate, dating back to 1435 and originally owned by Charles de Boucicot, adviser to the Montpellier Court of Accounts. This estate passed by alliance to the family of Belleval, who remained the owner until 1817. In 1771 François Gaspard Richer de Belleval, president of the Court of Accounts, entrusted the architect Jean Antoine Giral – known for the Peyrou perspective – with the construction of the present castle, completed that same year.

In 1814 the castle was briefly rented by Élisa Bacciochi, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and sister of Napoleon I, fleeing the invasion of its Italian states. After several changes of owners, it was acquired in 1893 by collector Alfred Chaber, whose son, André, restored the French gardens at the beginning of the 20th century. The name Piscine (Peyssine Deformation) was adopted at that time. In 1965 Queen Mother Elizabeth made a private visit.

Ranked a historic monument in 1942, the castle retains remarkable elements: carved frontal facades, 18th century interior decorations (large living room, green cabinet with marble fireplace), a wrought iron staircase ramp, as well as a park decorated with basins, statues and an old chapel. The estate, still owned by the descendants of the Chaber family, opens to the public only on the occasion of Heritage Days.

The madness of the pool illustrates the enthusiasm of the 18th century Montpellier elites for country residences, mixing neoclassical architecture and garden art. Its history also reflects the political upheavals of the era, from the Old Regime to the Napoleonic Empire, through the landscape transformations of the 19th and 20th centuries.

External links