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Origin and history

Château de Saint-Laurent-le-Minier, also known as Château Junié, is located in the eponymous commune of Gard, in the Occitanie region. Originally integrated into the Barony of Hierle until 1649, it was sold by Christophe de Montfaucon, a ruined Baron, to Jean de Bonnail to settle a debt related to the dowry of his daughter Diane. Upon the death of Jean de Bonnail, his daughter Marie, married to Pierre de Sarret, will inherit the estate.

In 1664, Pierre de Sarret, king's adviser to the court of aide of Montpellier, undertook a major reconstruction and extension of the castle. The gardens, drawn according to the plans of André Le Nôtre, underwent modifications between 1750 and 1800, when the property passed by alliance to the family of Vissec de Latude. The estate, once spread over 250 hectares, is now reduced to 7 hectares, including an orchard, palm grove and remarkable hydraulic elements such as an aqueduct and an artificial 18th century waterfall.

The castle, transformed into a condominium since 1977, remains a private property not open to the public. Ranked as a historical monument since 1988, it illustrates the architecture of the large Languedoc houses, with its glazed roofed pavilions, terraces and historical hydraulic system, partially preserved despite the disappearance of its noria in the 20th century.

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