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Origin and history

The castle of Alco is a Montpellier madness built around 1740 for Antoine-Samuel Bonnier, a general farmer from a family of drapiers converted into finance. Its existence was attested as early as 1744, and an atlas of 1756 showed its location with a closed ground of walls, although the gardens, absent from this plan, were probably later developed. The owner adopted the name Bonnier d'Alco, with reference to the estate, as did another member of his family, owner of the Mosson Castle, who took the name Bonnier de La Mosson. This monument, less monumental than other local madnesses, embodies the residential architecture of the Louis XV period, with a sober facade animated by a pediment and a modest porch.

In January 1980, the château was acquired by the Conseil Général de l'Hérault, which led between 1985 and 1989 an extensive restoration and construction programme of the Hôtel du département opposite. Today, the ground floor houses a restaurant reserved for departmental councillors, while the floor houses offices. The gardens, accessible to the public, are organized on a symmetrical axis with basins and fountains, connected by a double flight staircase. Although the environment was urbanized (pavillons and buildings replacing the old vines), the site retains a charm underlined in 1937 by the writer Léandre Vaillat, who boasted its harmony with the hill and the Languedoc light.

In 1993, the journal Monuments Historique denounces the urbanist "saccage" on the outskirts of the castle, highlighting the tensions between heritage preservation and urban development. Originally surrounded by wine-growing communes that have now disappeared, the castle illustrates the evolution of Montpellierian madness, from aristocratic or bourgeois residences to administrative functions, while maintaining a remarkable landscape and architectural value.

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