Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The estate of the Grange des Prés, in Pézenas, Hérault, was acquired in 1587 by Henri I of Montmorency, governor of Languedoc. The latter built a residence surrounded by Italian gardens between 1587 and 1595, incorporating a 13th century Romanesque chapel. The architect Jean Thomas, originally from Lorraine, supervised the works, creating a building organized around a central courtyard, with communes, a lower room, and a kitchen. The estate was girded with a wall of enclosure in 1601, and expansions were made until 1610, including a large staircase and terraces with views of the Herault plain.

In 1614 Henry II of Montmorency inherited the estate, which became a reception place for royal personalities, such as Louis XIII in 1622 and Richelieu in 1629. After the execution of Henry II in 1632 for rebellion, his sister Charlotte and her husband Henry II of Bourbon-Condé became owners. The prince of Conti, their son, installed his court there in 1653 and welcomed Molière, granting him his patronage. He stayed there several times between 1653 and 1656, playing his plays before the nobility. The estate thus became a high cultural place, before being gradually abandoned after the Prince's death in 1666.

In the 18th century, the "old castle", nicknamed "the Versailles du Languedoc", was partially demolished to give way to a barracks in 1738, then to a military hospital in 1795. Sold as a national property, it was bought in 1812 by Maurice Dessalles, who transformed it into a wine estate. A new neo-Louis XIII castle was built around 1850, and the gardens were recreated by the Bühler brothers. In the 20th century, the estate became a memorial to Molière, with theatre performances and tributes, such as the installation of a bust in 1897 or a feast in 1957 for the tricentenary of his departure.

The park, classified in 1942, preserves historical features such as centenary pines, a rock basin, and a herault flood-fed pool. The present castle, surrounded by 16th century communes, houses a neo-Gothic chapel added to the 19th century. The estate, still linked to French cultural history, was also a place of residence for artists and intellectuals, such as ornithologist François Hüe or composer Olivier Messiaen, who recorded bird songs there in the 1960s.

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