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Key figures

Origin and history

Deganne Castle was built in 1853 by Adalbert Deganne, future mayor of Arcachon, on the model of Boursault Castle in Champagne. In neo-Renaissance style, it is erected on the beach edge, inspired by a love of lost youth. Deganne, who had become rich, tried to offer the castle to Napoleon III in 1859, but he refused because of the maintenance costs. The owner, however, organizes fabulous receptions, welcoming personalities such as Adolphe Thiers (1875) and Marshal Mac Mahon (1877).

On the death of Deganne, without heir, the castle was the subject of testamentary disputes before being sold in 1903 and transformed into a casino. During the Second World War, he was requisitioned as a barracks and suffered significant degradation. Restored after 1945, it became a place of entertainment, welcoming celebrities. Since the fire of the Mauresque casino in 1977, it remains the only casino in Arcachon, combining historical heritage and cultural life.

The castle also houses an old collection of paintings, acquired by Deganne at the Salons de Paris and Bordeaux. These works, exhibited in his salons, reflected his status as an art amateur. Today, the building combines 19th century architectural heritage and modernity, as an emblematic place of the seaside town.

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