Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de la Mogère, located in Montpellier near the district of Odysseum, is a Montpellierian madness built in 1715. Ranked a historic monument since 1945 for its hydraulic elements (water buffet, floor, aqueduct, fountain), it illustrates the aristocratic residential architecture of the early eighteenth century. Its facades, roofs and park were protected in 1966, consolidating its heritage status.

The estate was acquired in 1707 by Fulcran Limozin, who entrusted its construction to architect Jean Giral, also author of the hotel of Cambacérès-Murles. From the 18th century, the castle passed into the hands of influential families, including Jacques-Joseph de Boussairolles (1741–14), adviser to the Court of Auditors and then Baron d'Empire in 1813. Today managed by Gaston de Saporta, it offers guided tours and houses classified furniture, including bas-reliefs, chairs of the period Directoire and Louis XVI, as well as a portrait of Boussairolles.

In 2015, the park hosted the exhibition Garden P(Arty), organized by the association Montpellier Loves Street Art. Twenty urban artists, including Mademoiselle Maurice, presented temporary installations on wooden cubes, combining contemporary art and historical heritage. This free and open initiative marked a desire for dialogue between classical heritage and modern creation.

The castle also embodies the tradition of the Languedoc madnesses, marinas built by the Montpellierian aristocracy in the 17th and 18th centuries. Its architecture and park, typical of this period, reflect the taste for French-style gardens and refined decors, while at the same time testifying to the influence of local elites in the town planning of the region.

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