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Origin and history

The Chartreuse de Fontcastel, located in Mérignac, is an ancient country house of the archbishops of Bordeaux, used from the 16th century until the Revolution. The current building, built in the second half of the 18th century, features remarkable architecture with a southern perron leading to a central entrance surmounted by a circular pediment adorned with an egg-eye. Five pots of fire crown the facade, while a straight wrought iron staircase adorns the north entrance. The estate also includes a 17th century fountain, decorated with shell niches, moved after its inventory.

After the Revolution, the Chartreuse was sold as a national property and became the summer residence of a family of Bordeaux bankers. In the 19th century, one of them incorporated in the entrance gate sculpted elements of the 14th and 15th centuries, from the cloister of Bordeaux Cathedral then being demolished. Two columns of the old dais of the cathedral, as well as the fountain, are also preserved in the park.

The facades and roofs of the Chartreuse have been protected since 1977 by a decree of inscription in the Historical Monuments. The estate thus preserves various architectural traces, mixing medieval, classical and post-revolutionary heritage.

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