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Origin and history

Cambous Castle, located in Viols-en-Laval in the Hérault, is a classic building built in the 16th and 17th centuries. It has been protected as historical monuments since 1983, especially for its architectural elements such as the entrance door, the staircase, and the large hall with its painted ceiling. This castle embodies the heritage of the religious conflicts of Languedoc, having been a Catholic bastion during the Wars of Religion.

During these wars, Antoine de Cambous, a Catholic partisan, distinguished himself by taking over Montferrand Castle from Protestants in 1584. Rewarded by the king, he rebuilt the castle of Cambous and made it the heart of a domain that will extend for nearly 24 km2 three centuries later. The estate then passes to his daughter Marguerite, married to Jean de Ratte, whose family perpetuates Catholic commitment. The castle changed hands several times, notably through matrimonial alliances, such as that of Jean Joseph de Jullien de Vinezac, and then of Count Louis François de Vögue in the early 19th century.

In 1889, the estate was acquired by Elizabeth Alexandrine Marie Berthier, Princess of Wagram, who sold it in 1914 after financial difficulties. The MP Pierre Leroy-Beaulieu then became its owner. The castle, with its registered facades and roofs, and some classified interiors, bears witness to the aristocratic history and social transformations of Languedoc.

The architecture of the castle, although partially protected, reflects the influences of the eras of reconstruction and beautification. The 1914 descriptions reveal the extent of the estate, one of the largest in the region. Today, Cambous remains a significant example of the Occitan monumental heritage, linked to the political and religious history of southern France.

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