Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Castries, classified as a historical monument, dominates the town of the same name near Montpellier, in the Hérault. Nicknamed "Le Petit Versailles du Languedoc", it was built in the 17th century on the bases of an ancient medieval castle razed in 1622. Its origins date back to the La Croix family, which acquired barony in 1495, while the dogive vaults on the ground floor of the north wing are the only remains of the thirteenth century still visible today. The estate illustrates five centuries of village history, marked by wars, epidemics, and major architectural transformations.

In 1622 the Duke of Rohan, leader of the Reformed Churches, ordered the demolition of the walls and the filling of the ditches to defend Montpellier, then Protestant place besieged by the troops of Louis XIII. The present castle, designed from 1645 by architect Jean Bonnassier, was to form a U with three houses, but only two were completed. The facades, surrounded by square pavilions, follow a rigorous Montepellieran model, while the recently restored broken roofs recall the classic 17th century influence.

The park and the gardens, arranged according to the plans of André Le Nôtre, gardener of Versailles, were supplied with water as early as 1670 by an aqueduct of 6,822 meters designed by Pierre-Paul Riquet, engineer of the Canal du Midi. The source of Fontgrand, captured to irrigate terraces and fountains, symbolizes the hydraulic ambition of the estate. In 1930, the topiary beds were replaced by fountains and doors, modernizing the classical spirit of the place.

Ranked a historic monument in 1966, the castle was bequeathed to the French Academy in 1985 by Count René de La Croix de Castries, the last heir of the family. Sold to the municipality in 2013, it has been the subject of a major restoration since 2017, including interiors and furniture. Although closed to the public in 2022, the estate remains an exceptional testimony of the Languedoc heritage, combining architecture, history and garden art.

The successive protections (registrations in 1943 and 2003, ranking in 2004) cover the entire field, including the water supply, classified in 1949. These measures highlight the heritage value of a site where medieval, classical and modern heritages intersect, reflecting the political, social and artistic evolutions of Languedoc since the Middle Ages.

Future

Launched for sale in September 2013, the estate becomes the property of the municipality of Castries.

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