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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Saint-Élix-le-Château was built between 1540 and 1548 for Pierre Potier de la Terrasse, secretary of François I and president of the Toulouse Parliament. Designed by the architect Laurent Clary, it symbolizes the success of its sponsor, combining medieval details (disappeared stallions) and Renaissance elements. The stained glass windows, signed by Joseph Gressier (1545), and the chimney of the École de Fontainebleau, decorated with the coat of arms of the Saint-Lary and Berthier families, bear witness to his initial fascist.

Over the centuries, the castle changed hands: the Marquis de Montespan, husband of Louis XIV's favourite, added an orangery and stables. His son, the Duke of Antin, sold him to Archbishop Jacob, who oversaw the writing of the history of Languedoc. Barons Ledesme (18th century) enriched with marbles, gold taps and works by sculptor François Lucas, including the statue of the Commander. After the Revolution, the ditches were filled and the roofs destroyed.

In the 19th century, the Carrère families, heirs of traders, preserved the castle as a place of culture, with a library and a Science Fair. The estate then passed into the hands of the Polish princess of Lubomiriski and Mrs Paul Fournes. Requisitioned during World War II, he was partially burned in 1945 and looted. Restored in the 1980s by Claude Cambou, it was put on sale several times (2014, 2018, 2022) before being acquired by the state in 2019, which has since tried to separate it.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1927 (castle) and 1994 (park, orangery, stables), the estate houses a remarkable regular garden. Since 1989, he has hosted the Rencontres botaniques, an exhibition of rare plants, suspended since 2017. A private collection (Carrerere family) preserves archives, statues and objects of the castle, waiting for museum enhancement.

The architecture, although altered (disappearance from the second floor after the 1945 fire), preserves brick facades, partially restored round towers (1847), and an abundant carved decoration. The iconic animals on the glacis and sills of the windows recall its past grandeur, between medieval heritage and Renaissance innovation.

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