A little history
In the 15th century, on a hill overlooking Saint-Honoré -Les-Bains, Guillaume de Grandrye, Lord of the Mountain, built the new fortified castle of the Mountain after the abandonment of the old fortress which stood on the Vieille Montagne, two kilometers further east.
Sold in 1714 to the Sallonnyer de Montbaron family, the castle, badly damaged by a hurricane in 1773, was rebuilt by the architect Jean Baptiste Caristie, which gave it its current exterior appearance.
The Espeuilles family bought the castle on September 26, 1786.
In 1840, Théodore d'Espeuilles called on the architect Félix Duban to create reception rooms, as we knew them in Paris in the middle of the 19th century, in order to welcome his friends with dignity.
Over time, the mountain will welcome the representatives of the European royal and imperial courts who come to take the waters in Saint-Honoré-Les-Bains.
The Château de La Montagne thus welcomed the Empress Eugenie and her son, the Prince Imperial, the Duke of Bassano, Grand Chamberlain of the Imperial Court, the Duke of Aumale, Queen Amélie of Portugal, the Queen of Spain ...
This exceptional site will also inspire the most prominent artists of the moment:
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Félix Duban, famous Parisian architect, who intervened during the repair of the Sainte Chapelle, the restoration of the castle of Blois and the castle of Chantilly;
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Pierre-Louis Rouillard, sculptor, who made "La Chasse au sanglier" on order, a majestic terracotta sculpture, listed as a Historic Monument;
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Prosper Merimée, the famous writer, who leaves some memories in the family archives;
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François-René de Chateaubriand, writer;
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Paul de Lavenne, Count of Choulot, famous landscaper, who created the park of the castle (on 25 hectares).
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Closer to our time, Nicolas de Staël, cousin of the family, frequents the castle.