General & History

In the heart of France’s Minervois region, resting at the foot of the Black Mountain, lies the village where the chateau sits. This superb medieval castle dates from the 12th century onwards, and consists of the main building (3 living rooms, library, dining room, 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms), four towers and a dovecote, extensive terraced gardens covering 2 hectares (5 acres) and a swimming pool.

This chateau is the perfect hideaway from the rigours of reality, ideal for family and friends wanting a real break from it all. Groups of up to 14 can have the chateau, buildings, park and pool all to themselves and domestic staff can also be hired by those wanting to put their feet up.

The Château is one of a line of fortified chateaux where the liegemen of Raymond IV of Toulouse resisted the anti Cathar crusade instigated by the pope and supported by the King of France in the 13th century. The property was one of the fortified châteaux built to resist the Pope’s forces. As the chateau was of great strategic importance to the Cathars, give its high position over the Cesse valley, the crusaders besieged it. During the course of the crusade, almost the entire chateau as burnt down. Once the crusade was over, the owner, having escaped during the siege, set about rebuilding his family home.

The history of the Château reads like a Who's Who of the feudal lords of South-West France. Wars and fires brought about many changes over the centuries, and the chateau's windows reflect these metamorpheses, with styles ranging from the tiny windows of the stark 12thC fortress to the beautiful windows of the Renaissance, with their ornamental balusters, to Trianon-style leaded panes in the 17thC.

In the 1960s the owners began the daunting task of restoring the chateau and its grounds to their former glory. Now visitors can enjoy the end product in an unchanging rustic setting, whose unique light and verdant surroundings are reminiscent of Tuscany.