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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Castles of Astros came into being in the 12th century, when the Templars settled in the plain of the Argens after acquiring lands from the Viscounts of Marseilles. In 1220 Bertrand and Jourdan of Vidauban handed over goods to order, later forming the command office of Astros, dependent on that of the Ruou. In 1232, they offered the bastide of the Temple of Astros (of Strolis), marking the beginning of its monastic and military history.

From 1314, under Philip the Bel, the Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem resumed the site after the dissolution of the Templars. The command office, originally attached to Marseille, was established as an autonomous entity in 1637 by the Order of Malta. The French Revolution transformed the estate into a national good: sold in 1796, then again in 1802 under Napoleon Bonaparte to Maximin Martin, a Protestant Marseille industrialist.

In the 19th century, Marc-Maximin Martin, heir to the estate, built in 1860 a castle inspired by Italian villas, now called a new castle. The site, which also includes a 17th century old castle, a chapel of Saint-Lambert (1691), a dovecote, and a park with a path of plane trees, was listed as a Historic Monument in 2009. Its interior decoration, made in 1862 by Camoin Jeune, combines paintings, golden stuccos and tapestries by Aubusson.

The 600-hectare agricultural estate, still active with 10,000 apple trees, was also used as a decor for Marcel Pagnol's film Le Château de ma mère (1990), replacing Château de la Buzine then in poor condition. An anecdote marks its history: in 1893, a delegation of Russian sailors, received by Mrs Reynad-Martin, inspired the partial financing of the Vidauban church, whose bulbous bell tower and Josephine bell testify to this Franco-Russian encounter.

The architecture of the new castle is distinguished by its symmetrical facade, its pepper turrets, and its elevated terrace overlooking a triangular floor. The old castle, in the shape of L, preserves commons, stables and a creneled wall, remains of its past of command. Two water bridges (1824) allow the irrigation canal to cross the valleys, illustrating the 19th century hydraulic engineering.

Today, the estate combines heritage and agricultural activity, with protected elements such as the chapel Saint-Lambert (a miraculous source since the 16th century), the square of the Quatre-Saisons adorned with statues, and aisle of plane trees bordering the department. Its history reflects the transitions between religious orders, industrial revolution, and cultural preservation.

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