Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château du Reclos came into being in 1405, when Pons de Villeneuve, lord of Bargemon, acquired land consisting of a simple orchard. In 1481, in the face of repeated looting in Provence, Françoise de Grasse, wife of Christophe de Villeneuve, oversees the construction of a 1.5 km wall and a watchtower to protect the estate. These fortifications, built in four years, mark the desire to secure a territory recently attached to France during the reign of Francis I.

In the 17th century, the estate modernized with the creation of irrigation basins, including a large basin of 90 meters in 1647, designed by François de Villeneuve to irrigate the land and raise carp. In 1696, Joseph de Villeneuve, inspired by the pavilions of Marly Castle after a stay at the courtyard of Louis XIV, initiated the construction of the central pavilion, the future heart of the castle. This building, originally designed as a hunting lodge under Louis XV, evolves over the centuries.

The 19th century saw the addition of two wings and turrets, transforming the pavilion into a neoclassical castle under Napoleon III. The Villeneuve family, which had four prefects under Louis XVIII, made it its summer residence, abandoning the old feudal castle of the village. The estate, enclosed by walls (where its name is Reclos), becomes a resort surrounded by a landscaped park mixing pines, boxwoods and exotic plants.

The two world wars marked a turning point: the First War decimated the designated heir, and the Second saw the Italian troops occupy the castle as headquarters, shortly after the evacuation of the resistance's equipment. After 1945, Count Raymond de Villeneuve-Bargemon converted the estate into a home for children, a vocation he retained until the end of the 20th century. Today, the Reclos welcomes groups for cultural or sporting activities.

A notable anecdote concerns Joseph de Villeneuve, who, under the Terror, pleaded with Robespierre in 1793 to avoid the confiscation of the estate. At a dinner in Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne, Robespierre, impressed by his cold blood, allowed the family to preserve their land. Three months later, the fall of Robespierre saved the Villeneuve from an uncertain destiny, while they expected to climb on the scaffold.

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