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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The farm of La Besse, located in the hamlet of Rieutord (comune of Usclades-et-Rieutord), is attested from the 15th century. In 1400, a lease was signed between Abbé de Mazan and Simon Reynaud for the land of La Besse, marking the beginning of a long possession by the Reynaud family. These lands, dependent on the abbey, remained exploited by the Reynauds for almost two centuries, with documentary traces confirming their presence.

In 1612, Benoît Reynaud, then owner, made a gratitude to Abbé de Mazan and married his daughter Jeanne to Louis Teyssier, who adopted the name Teyssier-la-Besse. The Teyssier take over and also manage the Bauzon forest, property of the Abbey. The farm, which was the victim of a fire around 1770, was partially rebuilt: the QUEYRAT du logis dates back to 1774, and a chimney bearing the inscription 1787, marking the end of the work.

The French Revolution worsened local tensions. Jean Teyssier, administrator of the district of Aubenas and operator of the estate (including a wheat mill and sawmill for the abbey), conflicts with his farmer. The latter looted the estate and destroyed the mill. In 1818, the Méjan family acquired the farm by marriage with the last heiress Teyssier and established a gourmet inn.

The farm, classified as Historic Monument in 2018, includes the house, its outbuildings, the courtyard, and the beef of the old mill. Its history reflects the close links between ecclesiastical seigneuries, peasant families and the exploitation of local resources in Ardèche, from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

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