Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Grammont estate came into being in the 12th century as a priory of Notre-Dame-de-Montaubérou, dependent on the order of Grandmont. Founded in 1174 on the lands of the chapter of Maguelone, it includes a chapel built around 1180 (renewed in 1225) and three monasteries attached by Pope John XXII. During the Wars of Religion (XVIth century), the priory was partially destroyed, then ceded in 1701 to the Séminaire de Montpellier. Sold as a national property in 1790, it became a private property: General Charles de Frégeville (1796–1821) and his son-in-law Ambroise-Jacques Bricogne (from 1821) rebuilt the west wing in the early 19th century.

The chapel, destroyed and rebuilt between 1895 and 1897 by architect Pierre Arribat, includes sculptures by Auguste Baussan and stained glass windows by Louis-Charles-Marie Champigneulle. The estate, surrounded by vineyards until the 1980s, was transformed into a cultural pole with the inauguration of the South Zenith (1986), the first hall of this type in the region. The park also houses a theatre, sports facilities (equestrian center, skatepark), and the statue Hécate et Cerbère (1866) by Marcello, classified in 1981.

Today, the castle hosts civil weddings (annex Mairie) and the Saint-Étienne cemetery, while the Espace Grammont serves large concerts. The estate, although close to urbanization (Millennium Quarter, Odysseum), remains preserved thanks to the surrounding vineyards, such as those of the follies of Flaugergues and Montaubérou. The chapel of St.Philothée is now dedicated to Greek Orthodox worship. The Montpellier Hérault Sport Club also has its headquarters for training.

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