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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de la Calade, located in Puyricard (municipality of Aix-en-Provence), was built from 1632 on the banks of the Touloubre for Jérôme de Duranti, adviser to the Court of Accounts of Provence. Its architecture, inspired by the 16th century rather than the 17th century, is distinguished by a stairwell adorned with gypseries and decorations borrowed from Aix-en-Provence private hotels. Originally equipped with four towers, two were destroyed during the French Revolution. The site derives its name from an ancient paving (calade) made in 1454 to stabilize the nearby royal road, then prone to flooding.

At the beginning of the First Empire, the castle was enriched with panoramic wallpapers, including one representing the Bagatelle gardens (1800–1804), considered the first French example of its kind. Produced by the Dufour manufacture, this decor is inspired by the engravings of Debucourt and drawings by Pierre-Antoine Mougin. The large room on the first floor has a trompe-l'oeil of draperies. These additions reflect the evolution of aristocratic tastes between mannerism and neoclassicism.

Ranked a historic monument in 2015 (after a partial inscription in 2011), the castle includes in its protection the facades of the communes and the remains of its park. Private property, it illustrates the Provencal architectural heritage, combining defensive utility (bridge and paved road) and residential aesthetics. Its history also documents social transformations, from the nobility of dress (Duranti) to revolutionary upheavals.

The notarial acts (1632–53) attest to its construction in two decades, while the interior decorations — gypsies, wallpapers and trompe-l'oeil — bear witness to various artistic influences, from Aix-en-Provence in Paris. The La Calade site perpetuates the memory of medieval road development, a symbol of the challenges posed by the marshy territory.

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