Reported reconstruction 1626 (≈ 1626)
Possible building of a tower.
XVe–XVIe siècles
First construction campaign
First construction campaign XVe–XVIe siècles (≈ 1650)
Vaulted room, octagonal staircase tower.
11 mars 1964
First entry MH
First entry MH 11 mars 1964 (≈ 1964)
Protection of the vaulted room.
8 janvier 2007
Registration of old buildings
Registration of old buildings 8 janvier 2007 (≈ 2007)
Together before the 19th century.
30 juillet 2010
Classification of the castle
Classification of the castle 30 juillet 2010 (≈ 2010)
Total protection of the site.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The vaulted room on the ground floor of the house (box A 547): inscription by order of 11 March 1964 - All the old buildings (before the 19th century) in full, as well as the soil of the corresponding plots (ca. CA 194, 196, 186, 187): inscription by order of 8 January 2007 - The old castle in full, as well as the soil of the corresponding plots (cad. CA 186, 187, 194, 452): classification by decree of 30 July 2010
Key figures
Jean Sabatier - Sculptor
Workmaster associated with the monument.
Origin and history
The castle of the Count-Bishops of Melgueil, located in Mauguio, succeeds a seigneurial castle of the 12th–13th centuries. The current buildings, dating from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, are now divided into three private properties. They underwent major modifications in the 18th and 19th centuries, but retained remarkable elements such as a curved vaulted hall, a vaulted corridor and an octagonal tower with screws. These remains bear witness to the first construction campaign (15th–12th centuries).
The arcade gallery of the house Riey, of similar style, could date from the same period or from the second campaign in the seventeenth century. The latter, marked by works in 1626, may include the reconstruction of a tower (perhaps the stair tower). The old interior features, such as a monumental console fireplace, original floors and ceilings, as well as bays and consoles on facades, attest to the partial preservation of the period structures.
The monument has been the subject of successive protections: inscription in 1964 for the vaulted hall, in 2007 for all buildings before the 19th century, and classification in 2010 for the old castle in its entirety. These measures aim to preserve a rare episcopal heritage, marked by architectural transformations over centuries. The sculptor Jean Sabatier is mentioned as a masterpiece associated with the site.
Today, the castle is divided between private and communal properties. Its varying conservation status reflects both its historical importance and the challenges of its transmission. Protected elements, such as late Gothic vaults or interior decorations, offer an overview of art and episcopal life in Languedoc between the Middle Ages and the modern era.
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