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Origin and history

The Château de Reynerie, located in Toulouse in the Occitanie region, was built in the second half of the eighteenth century for Jacques Dubarry, who acquired the estate in 1781. The building, of classic brick style, is distinguished by its L plan flanked by two square towers and an interior decorated with stuccos. The park, organized on two terraces, combines a romantic "English" garden on the upper terrace and a regular French garden below, with basins, canals and a neo-Greek nymph. Exotic species such as the tulip trees of Virginia bear witness to the 18th-century craze for picturesque gardens.

The estate, originally agricultural, was transformed into an aristocratic madness, typical of the eighteenth century Toulouse residences. The castle and its park, classified as Historic Monuments in 1963, retain remarkable elements such as the pigeon-house (registered in 1994), orange-tree, and a serpentine fed by a source. After belonging to bourgeois families, the site was acquired by the city of Toulouse in 2009. Today, it is integrated into an urban landscape contrasting with its rural origin, while preserving its historical character.

The park's layout reflects two distinct periods: neoclassical structures (scaling, nymphae, orangery) probably date back to the last quarter of the 18th century, while landscape parts (snake, rose massif) may date back to the late 18th or early 19th century. The castle, with its circular living room and mezzanine service rooms, illustrates the way of life of the Toulouse elites before the Revolution. Its acquisition by the municipality allowed its safeguard, despite the massive urbanization of the Reynerie district in the 20th century.

The dovecote, built in the 18th century and restored in 2000, is a rare testimony of the utility architecture of seigneurial estates. Built of brick on four pillars, it was used for the breeding of pigeons, symbol of social status. The park, although reduced to 3 hectares today, retains traces of its original layout, such as the haha canal and the central circular basin. These elements, combined with the presence of sculptures (layered lions) evoking the Virebent production, underline the influence of the Toulouse artistic currents of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

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