Château de Peyrat

English translation

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History

The Peyrat family, established in Pézénas from the 15th century, owned a "country house" known in the 17th and 18th centuries under the name of "métairie de Montplaisir". The addition of towers in the 16th century transformed this dwelling into a château which the 17th century embellished (baluster staircase; chapel frescoes). In the second half of the 18th century, Montplaisir, having become "domaine de Peyrat", passed into the hands of the Reboul family. François-Jacques Reboul, a man of Jansenist conviction, is said to have had the towers lowered out of concern for austerity and renamed the dwelling. The domain is situated about ten kilometres from Pézénas. Its buildings are arranged around two square courtyards. The château follows the traditional plan of the Gallo-Roman villa: four wings of building enclosing a square inner courtyard, called the "cour du propriétaire". It is flanked to the east by a second square courtyard bordered by buildings, the "cour du fermier", and to the west by agricultural buildings. The farmer's courtyard was originally flanked by two cylindrical towers, of which only the north-east one survives. The entrance to the château, to the north, corresponds to a passage covered by a barrel vault, surmounted by a dovecote. On each corner stood formerly a square tower. Facing the entrance porch, a terrace extends along the opposite wing. The interior retains its chapel whose painted decoration dates from the 17th century: fresco painting on the walls, representing figures of saints in grisaille; painted wooden ceiling.