Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Beauregard Castle is a 17th-century building located in Saint-Péray, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Built between 1640 and 1652 by Claude Teste-Fernand de la Motte, baili de Crussol, it replaces pre-existing ruins. Its location, 250 metres above sea level, overlooks the Rhone and is close to the ruins of the Crussol Castle. This strategic site reflects its historic importance in the Haut-Vivarais region.

In 1696 Beauregard became a state prison able to accommodate up to 40 prisoners. In 1744 a wall of 136 murderers was added to reinforce its security. The French Revolution ended its prison use in 1791, but Napoleon demanded it as a prison until 1819, when Privas prison was built. The castle was then converted into a cellar, playing a key role in the local winemaking history: in 1829 its cellar housed the first champagnisation of the wine of Saint-Péray.

In the 19th century, the castle changed its vocation several times. Around 1895, Joseph Badet made it a renowned restaurant, taken over by his son until 1922. That year, the Baron de Bouvier de Cachard acquired the estate, restored it and modified its architecture by adding two round towers and one floor to the square towers, giving it its current appearance. After 1947, the castle passed into the hands of the Association de Beauregard, the diocese of Viviers, and was bought by the commune of Saint-Péray in 2020.

Beauregard's architecture includes a central house body flanked by two square pavilions. Its basements, formerly dungeons and oblivionttes, house a cellar with a laughter intended to collect the wine from broken bottles. Outside, a garden with well completes the whole, testifying to its evolution between defensive function, prison and vineyard.

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