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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Villebrumier was built between 1809 and 1815 by Pierre Gerla, son of a local notary and former member of the Council of Five Cents. He reused the foundations of a pre-existing agricultural building, on a land bordering the Tarn. When he died without a direct heir, the castle passed to his nephews, then to the Benaïs family, who added one floor, two towers and interior embellishments until 1877.

In 1877 the castle was ceded to the Counts of Marigny, patrons and artists, who undertook major transformations between 1890 and 1908. Jean de Marigny had the facade rebuilt, the towers raised, and the building decorated with polychrome earthenware signed Gaston Virebent. He created a reception room with a tiled ceiling and a monumental fireplace, while welcoming artists like the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, whom he financially supported. His wife, Camille de Marigny, painted murals on natural themes.

After the death of Jean de Marigny in 1927, the castle became the property of Dr.Azam and his heirs. He was poorly maintained and served as a temporary hospital during World War II. In the 1960s, part of the park was operated for agricultural purposes before being partially transferred to the municipality in 1989 to build a retirement home. Since 1996, the Laporte family has restored the castle, registered with historical monuments, and made it a place of cultural and private events.

The castle, still privately owned, is distinguished by its eclectic architecture, mixing original Chartreuse, neoclassical additions and Art Nouveau decorations. Its facades, its vestibule, its staircase and some rooms on the ground floor (including an Italian room) have been protected since 2002. The park, enriched with rare plant species, and the interiors decorated with ceramics of Virebent make this a remarkable testimony of the artistic patronage of the nineteenth century in Occitanie.

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