Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Terrides was built between 1320 and 1330 by Raymond-Jourdain de Terride, lord of Penneville, in tribute to his family and to a first castle destroyed near Cologne. This brick monument, typical of medieval defensive architecture, was partially rebuilt in the 15th century and then transformed in the 16th century for more comfort, integrating Renaissance elements as well as sill bays.

In the 16th century, the castle became a notable meeting place when François I stayed there in 1540 to reward Antoine de Lomagne, a younger member of the family, for his acts of arming during the Italian wars. However, the Wars of Religion marked a tragic turning point: Géraud de Terride, allied with Protestantism, assassinated his Catholic brothers and destroyed the Abbey of Belleperche before being killed during the siege of the castle by Honorat II de Savoie, resulting in the extinction of the older branch of the Terrid.

The castle then moved to the families of Lévis-Mirepoix (1639), then to Maxilien de Béthune, and changed hands several times, notably during the Revolution with Jean-Denis Lanjunnais, MP, and under the Empire with Jacques Alexandre Law de Lauriston, aide de camp de Napoléon I. In the 19th century, the Magres family, originally from Toulouse, restored it between 1861 and 1887. The archaeologist Jane Dieulafoy, from this lineage, is associated with it. Since 1987, the estate has been home to a hotel, and the castle has been listed as a historical monument since 2019.

Architecturally, the castle is distinguished by its three asymmetric scauguette towers, its bridge crossing dry moat, and a Renaissance facade decorated with balconies. The courtyard, now equipped with a swimming pool, is surrounded by rectangular buildings. The estate extends over 92 hectares, including wood, lake and chapel, reflecting its evolution from a medieval fortress to an aristocratic residence, then to a hotel establishment.

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