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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de la Rivoire, located in Vanosc in Ardèche, is a reconstruction of the early eighteenth century on the bases of an ancient medieval castle. Acquired in 1714 by the Pichon family (now Pichon de la Rivoire), the estate was entirely redesigned between 1723 and 1728 as a recreational residence integrated into a farm. The works include the creation of gardens, an orangery, an orchard, and a piece of water, all walled with a monumental gate to the east. The castle, inspired by the Aix bastides and the Franciscan madness, still retains its original architectural and landscape unit today.

The building was listed as a historic monument in 2001, protecting the entire building and exterior spaces, including a cooler outside the walls of the enclosure. The estate also includes communes, a gardener's house, a dovecote, and stables completed in 1751. The accuracy of its location is estimated as fair (note 5/10), and its official address is referenced under Insee 07333 (Ardèche).

Before its reconstruction, the site housed a 13th century castle, sold at the beginning of the 18th century by the Rivoire de la Tourette family. The new property, conceived as a coherent set, illustrates the evolution of aristocratic residences towards more open and aesthetic models, combining agricultural function and approval. The panellings and some chimneys were taken over or completed later, indicating a concern for lasting finishing. Today, the castle remains a remarkable example of elegant rural architecture of the first half of the eighteenth century in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

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