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Origin and history

The Château de Lézignan-la-Cèbe, located in the department of Hérault in the Occitanie region, was reportedly built between 1625 and 1630 according to local tradition. It was erected for Mary of Bourbon-Montpensier, wife of Henry II of Montmorency, beheaded in 1632 for rebellion against King Louis XIII. The castle, of sober style, consists of three bodies of buildings arranged in U, surrounded by four round towers, and covers a rectangular courtyard preceded by a forecourt.

In 1617 the widow of Henri II de Montmorency built this castle, which then passed into the hands of the family of Ribes, co-teachers of Lézignan. In 1757 the Marquis of Carrion-Nizas of Spain, descended from the children of Carrion of Spain and Cid Campeador, acquired the estate. The castle remained in this family until Yseulte, Baroness of La Guéronnière, grandmother of the academician Wladimir d'Ormesson, who inherited it in the 20th century.

The castle is an architectural testimony of the seventeenth century, marked by political and religious conflicts. Its construction coincides with a period of tension between the nobility and the monarchy, illustrated by the execution of Montmorency. The families of Ribes and Carrion, linked to the military and seigneurial history of Languedoc, left their mark there. Today, the estate still belongs to the family of Ormesson.

Ranked Historic Monument in 1971 for its facades and roofs, the castle embodies the heritage of the great Languedoc families. Its architecture reflects the austerity of the noble residences of the time, designed to combine defence and comfort. The region, marked by a strong Templar presence and then hospital, sees in this castle a symbol of the transition between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

Lézignan-la-Cèbe, a rural village in the Herault Valley, is also known for its prehistoric vestiges dating back 1.2 million years, discovered on the Bois-de-Riquet site. These lithic tools, among the oldest in Europe, contrast with the more recent history of the castle, highlighting the stratigraphic richness of this Occitan territory.

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