My father had a passion for feudal castles since his childhood. He bought the castle of Vénéjan, an old fortress that had been abandoned for decades, in the 1950s, and devoted part of his life as a diplomat to rebuilding these ruins. As a child, this place was an extraordinary playground for me and my siblings. This is how I became deeply attached to these old stones. It seemed natural and imperative that I continue this restoration work after him. When I left Paris in 2000, I moved into the upper part of the castle, which my parents had allocated to me some time before. They themselves lived part of the year in the ground floor flats. As a sculptor, I built my studio there, introducing the very contemporary architecture of a glass and steel structure which is integrated into the ruins. My time is happily divided between sculpture and constant development of the building and the gardens.
Built according to a classical quadrangular plan, the castle is a defensive fortress surrounded by a dry moat which is still visible today, and is flanked by two watchtowers, further west and partly in ruins. It also consisted of three main buildings around an inner courtyard, with an entrance to the east accessible by a drawbridge. A great fire in 1752 ravaged and destroyed the Renaissance buildings built in the 16th century. The facade survived until 1890 and then gave way to the current very large terrace. Only a few remnants of the north wing remain - a mullioned window, an archway and a fishbone facing, all characteristic of the 12th century. The habitable part of the castle, to the south and west, consists of a large 14th century tower, three storeys high, the adjoining building and the entire ground floor.
In 1270, the fief belonged to Guillaume de Bermond. In 1290, the seigneury was granted to Pierre de Béziers by Philippe le Bel who built a fortified house. At the beginning of the 14th century, the initial building became a castle with a surrounding wall and two watchtowers. His descendants kept it until the beginning of the 16th century. In 1556 it passed to Louis Cadart d'Ancézune by marriage whose daughter married Louis Gaucher d'Adhémar de Monteil, Count of Grignan in 1595, and brought the castle in her dowry. In 1669, François Adhémar de Monteil de Grignan, grandson of Louis Gaucher, married Françoise Marguerite de Sévigné, daughter of the famous Marquise de Sévigné. In one of her letters, the marquise praised the castle so much that she asked her daughter "not to sell the Vénéjan land off for a low price". In 1720, the castle was sold to the Marquis de la Royère, who sold it after 30 years to the Marquis de la Fare. This family lived there until a terrible fire in 1752 destroyed the site, in particular the Renaissance buildings. At the time of the Revolution, it was abandoned and partially escaped being ransacked. The site was neither inhabited nor maintained during the 19th century. Count Millet de Frayssinet, my father, bought the site in 1955, reinforced it and gradually saved it from total ruin. He has lived there since 1997.
A total change of scenery in a unique, historical location. A paradoxical feeling of freedom and security. This impression is brought on, on the one hand, by the large spaces, the immense terrace under the sky, a dominating, unobstructed view, the park, and on the other hand, by the surrounding walls and the two buildings surrounding an enclosed garden. It is a place of peace, a large, warm house with spacious rooms, for gathering with family or friends, with gardens for relaxing in the shade of large trees. There is the large 400 m² terrace above the old moat, overlooking the Vénéjan plain. At any time of the day or night, in any season, walking on this terrace feels like walking in the sky, in a different time. The panoramic view stretches from the north to the south of the Rhône Valley, sweeping westwards over the foothills of the Ardèche, the Cévennes and the hills of the Uzège. The sunset here is simply magnificent.
You can go for walks in the heart of nature in the immediate surroundings, swim in the river, or go further afield with remarkable escapes into the Cévennes, Provence, the Camargue, the Lubéron. Some good restaurants nearby are "Le Bienheureux" in Saint-Alexandre, the "Table de Marine" in Saint-Michel d'Euzet, the "Bistro de Montcaud" in the magnificent park of the Château de Montcaud in Combes. A little further on you will find "La Maison" in Gaujac and "La Table 2 Julien" in Montaren. The unmissable markets of Pont-Saint-Esprit on Saturday mornings and Bagnols-sur-Cèze on Wednesday mornings are lively and friendly. We are set in the heart of the "Côtes du Rhône" vineyards. In Vénéjan itself, the Domaine de Bellefeuille is a great find for wine tasting with a passionate winemaker.
The living rooms, a very large independent bedroom overlooking the patio and communicating with the large living room with a separate bathroom are found on the ground floor. The other three bedrooms are in the 14th century tower. Two bedrooms, one on each floor, each have their own private bathroom and one room under the roof is ideal for young people and children.
ref 746108
The two bedrooms are in the 14th century tower, one on each floor, each with its own private bathroom.
ref 746108
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