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Château de Roussan à Saint-Rémy-de-Provence dans les Bouches-du-Rhône

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine défensif
Demeure seigneuriale
Château
Bouches-du-Rhône

Château de Roussan

    Voie communale de Roussan et de Cornud
    13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Château de Roussan
Château de Roussan
Château de Roussan
Crédit photo : Marianne Casamance - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
16 janvier 1608
Transmission to the Joannis family
Seconde moitié du XVIe siècle
First known owner
1701
Purchased by Jean Antoine Servan
1848-1887
Embellishments by Bussy's Bouchaud
11 octobre 1993
Historical monument classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Castle, including the adjacent wing, as well as its park comprising the aisle bordered with plane trees in the North, the fence walls, gates, terraces, water rooms, greenhouse, statuary, hydraulic system and other elements constituting the park (Box BL 81 to 83, placed Mas de Capelans; BM 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 to 14, 18 to 22, 134, placed Roussan): inscription by order of 11 October 1993

Key figures

Bertrand de Nostredame - Captain and first known owner Brother of Nostradamus, strengthens the estate at the sixteenth.
Melchior Jacques de Joannis de Nochère - Crown Cousin Owner in 1608, family.
Diane de Joannis de Roussan - Heir of the castle Transmits the estate in the 17th century.
Jean Antoine Servan - Acquirer in 1701 Tarasconnais, bequeaths to his nephew Antoine.
Famille Bouchaud de Bussy - 19th Century Owners Responsible for major beautifications.

Origin and history

The Château de Roussan, located on the road from Tarascon to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône), is a Provençal bastide made up of an 18th century central body and a wing added to the 19th century, including a library. The estate, lined with walls, includes a park with greenhouse, basin, aisles of plane trees and a hydraulic system, reflecting the successive beautifications of its owners. Joined historic monuments in 1993, it is now transformed into a hotel, preserving its historical and landscaped character.

The history of the castle dates back to the second half of the 16th century, when the Mas de Roussan belonged to Captain Bertrand de Nostredame, brother of the famous Nostradamus. This agricultural estate, with a farm, a dovecote and houses, was fortified by a wall to protect itself during religious wars. In 1608 he passed to Melchior Jacques de Joannis de Nochère, cousin of Bertrand's grandson, and then to Diane de Joannis de Roussan by inheritance. These first families marked its anchor in the local aristocracy.

In the 18th century Jean Antoine Servan, originally from Tarascon, acquired the castle in 1701 and handed it over to his nephew Antoine. Major changes occurred in the 19th century: the Bouchaud family of Bussy (owner from 1848) added architectural and landscape elements until 1887, when the Roussel family acquired them. These beautifications, combined with its history linked to Nostradamus, make it a rare testimony of the evolution of the Provencal bastides.

The castle of Roussan also illustrates the adaptation of noble estates to troubled periods, such as the wars of religion, and their conversion into recreational residences in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its park, with its terraces, statues and pieces of water, reflects the influence of French gardens and the importance attached to landscape aesthetics by Provencal elites. Today, private property open to the public in the form of a hotel, it perpetuates this mixture of history and elegance.

External links