Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Valmirande was built between 1892 and 1899 in Montréjeau, in a neo-Renaissance style inspired by the Loire castles, on the plans of the Bordeaux architect Louis Garros for Baron Bertrand de Lassus. The latter, heir to an immense family fortune from the Pillet-Will bank, acquired 41 hectares in 1892-1893 to build a "almost royal palace". The first stone was laid in 1893, and the 70-metre-long castle was inaugurated in 1899 by the Archbishop of Toulouse.

The chapel, added between 1902 and 1905, was consecrated in 1905 and decorated with marbles, stained glass and a statue of Christ by Louis-Ernest Barrias. The park, designed by the Bühler brothers and later Edward André, houses 180 species of century-old trees, including Virginia tulip trees and cedar trees from Lebanon. A medieval tower of 41 meters, housing a steam heating system, completes the whole.

The estate, classified as a historical monument in 1992, remains the property of the Lassus family. The park, labeled "Remarkable Garden" until 2017, is open to the public, while the castle, still inhabited, retains its original furniture. The outbuildings, including stables and saddlery, form a miniature village around the castle.

Bertrand de Lassus, a passionate pyreneist, housed a photographer there for his excursions. When he died in 1909, his heiress, Baroness Simone de Lassus, and then his son Bertrand, continued to manage the estate. The successive protections (1976, 1979, 1992) underline its heritage importance.

The materials, such as Lourdes limestone or roofing slate, reflect artisanal know-how. The "French-style" rooms, added in 1912, offer stunning views of the Pyrenees and the Neste valley. The castle, symbol of the opulence of the Belle Époque, combines local influences (bigourdan style) and aristocratic references.

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