Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Laurens villa, also known as Laurens Castle, was built in Agde between 1898 and 1900 by Emmanuel Laurens (1873–1959), heir to a colossal fortune and passionate about art. This doctor, a traveler and a music lover, conceived his home as a total work of art, combining architecture, decorations and furniture. The eclectic building combines influences Art Nouveau, Neo-Greek, Egyptian and Orientalist, reflecting his travels to Russia, Uzbekistan and Austria. The craftsmen involved include the painter Eugène Dufour (departures of the salon), Louis Anquetin (bureau ceiling), and Eugène Simas (bathroom in faience of Sarreguemines).

The villa, occupied by German soldiers during World War II, was abandoned after Laurens' death in 1959. Repurchased by the City of Agde in 1994, it was the object of a monumental restoration (15 M€) before its opening to the public in June 2023. Ranked a historic monument in 1996, it includes garden, ponds, orangery and a hydro turbine. Its furniture, partially dispersed, is now being resettled, like the pieces of Léon Cauvy or Carlo Bugatti exhibited at the Jules Baudou museum during the works.

The restoration project, led by the community of Hérault Méditerranée and the RL & Associés agency, aims to revive this unknown gem. In 2015, the state commissioned artists Wilfried Mille and Ida Tursic to replace the lost paintings of the music show. The villa thus illustrates the architectural and decorative audacity of the turn of the twentieth century in the South of France, between local heritage (family of Agathian masons masters) and international influences.

Emmanuel Laurens, the project's central figure, draws inspiration from his collections and travels. Owner of another villa in Saint-Raphaël in 1898, he transformed Belle-Isle into a unique place where decorative arts, music and art of living cross. His artistic heritage survives thanks to municipal acquisitions (classified buildings) and recent publications, such as the book Château Laurens, the splendour recovered (2023) or the comic book Emmanuel Laurens: the castle of his dreams (2025).

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