Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château d'Oraison is a building built in the late Middle Ages or during the Renaissance by the Oraison family, in the present commune of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Located in the heart of the city, it embodies the seigneurial architecture of this pivotal period, although its exact origins remain unclear. Its history is marked by major transformations after its acquisition in 1720 by the family of Fulque, originally from Valensole, who made it a symbol of their marquisat.

In the 18th century, the castle underwent major changes under the aegis of the Fulcas, which kept it until after the French Revolution. Sold in 1806 to local individuals, it was raised on one floor to accommodate a silkworm herding, attracting Louis Pasteur's interest in his studies of the diseases of these insects in 1868. This place, formerly dedicated to seric farming, later became an ephemeral industrial site in the 1950s, housing a postcard factory.

The architecture of the castle reflects these historical strata: remodeled medieval or reborn structure, added floor for the magnanerie, and successive reallocations. Its economic role evolved with local needs, moving from an aristocratic residence to a productive space, before becoming part of the collective memory as a witness to industrial and scientific change in the region.

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