Close to Lorgues... The Château du Mont
Today offered for sale, this elegant château beckons us in…
There where one expected to see a stone farmhouse or a Provençal residence, at the end of a tree-lined drive, the château surveys a garden in classic French style. Today offered for sale, it beckons us in…
The Château du Mont dates back to the 18th century, somewhere around 1750, though the estate itself goes back even further. In 1307, the Order of the Knights Templar handed it over to the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. It then belonged in turn to the clergy and nobility before becoming the property of the state during the French Revolution. From 1865 to 1923, it was owned by the Leclerc de Juigne de Lassigny family, then it was the turn of the Vicomte de Rohan Chabot, a colonel in the cavalry and husband of Marie d’Agay, to take it over. More recently, it has belonged to the Davet-Chapet family and finally the present owner, who remains discreet about his aristocratic origins. A tour of the property and an inspection of its contents makes one think that he has scoured distant lands and admired other civilizations which he respects as highly as the heritage of France.
Vines were once cultivated on the estate. It was divided into two parts, and only one of them is still dedicated to wine production. The other comprised of 32.5 acres (20 acres of woods and fields, plus a park of 12.5 acres) is home to the Château of 800 m2, now renovated, and 1,000 m2 of buildings registered on the cadastral plans.
Once past the heavy iron gate and the shady drive, a few steps lead the visitor to a terrace : a pond, fountain and more steps guarded by two stone lions lead to a second space before the Château, a sublime souvenir of by-gone days. Nothing ostentatious in the architecture, just sobre elegance : a tower clad in ivy to the right, traditional windows and an impressive door bearing a lion’s head. Inside, charm unfurls in nostalgic style. The austerity of the reception hall in Carrara marble is softened by wood, in the library with its amazing box-ceiling and also in the lounge, a former winter garden. The Louis XVI hearth in rose stone is the centrepiece of the salon with its wood-panelling and gold-leaf. Cosy nooks with armchairs, consoles, desks, paintings, carpets and chandeliers... Antiques which prove that, in this kind of residence, memories are just as important as good taste. Here, a writing-desk recalls the time when human contact relied on handwritten letters. There, coats-of-arms and keys, probably belonging to the family. The hall also leads to the dining-room. As well as the imposing dining table, one notices Chinese miniatures and wall hangings. Adjoining this room is another devoted to silver and tableware.
The Château is built on three floors and boasts no less than eleven bedrooms. One notices a showcase with a collection of fine lace, then another one containing porcelain. The hallways on the upper floors are hung with paintings of Biblical inspiration. From all the windows, facing south and sheltered from the prevailing winds, one’s eye can gaze upon the two terraces and, rare enough in the region to be pointed out, a classic French garden with dense boxwood hedges. In the park, oaks and pine trees stand harmoniously side by side. The more modern pool area offers a slabbed terrace and a summer apartment crowned by a dovecote, all set between lawns and flowerbeds.
The buildings and their decorative elements are an ode to the past. The grounds and their vegetation enshrine the memory of days gone by. More than an architectural style, the Château du Mont corresponds to a way of life. Each stone contains a fragment of humanity.
By Laetitia Rossi - Photos Edith Andreotta
