A Journey Through the History of Cordès Castle

Cordès Castle was built in the 13th century by the Chalus family. Perched on a rocky spur, it originally served as a fortress designed to watch over and defend the surrounding territory.

In 1659, the castle was sold to the d’Allègre family. They undertook extensive renovations that gradually transformed the former fortress into an elegant country residence. Large windows were opened on the west façade to bring more natural light into the building, a new doorway was created in the chapel, and the estate’s service buildings were constructed.

In 1695, the d’Allègre family commissioned André Le Nôtre, the renowned landscape architect to King Louis XIV, to design the formal French gardens. The geometric layout of the flowerbeds, carefully planned perspectives, and tree-lined avenues enhanced both the castle and its natural setting.

From 1755 to 1873, the estate belonged to the Grangier family, who continued to embellish the property.

They commissioned the remarkable decorative plasterwork in the main drawing room and ordered a bell from Claude III Seurot, a member of the famous Seurot dynasty of bell founders, active in Auvergne from the 17th to the 19th century.

It was also Pierre Grangier who brought several important Carrara marble pieces from the chapel of the Château d’Allègre in Haute-Loire to Cordès: the recumbent effigy, the baptismal font, and the altarpiece.

A remarkable story surrounds the recumbent effigy. To protect it from destruction during the French Revolution, Pierre Grangier had it turned face down so that it would appear to be nothing more than an ordinary stone slab placed in front of the altarpiece. Thanks to this clever ruse, it escaped the widespread vandalism of the period. It remained hidden until 1946, when Mr. Creuzot, architect for the Historic Monuments Service, became intrigued by the stone, had it turned over, and rediscovered the effigy.

From 1873 onwards, the estate passed through the hands of several owners, all of whom were quickly confronted with the scale of the restoration work and the considerable cost of maintaining such an extensive property.

In 1933, three elements of the estate were officially listed as Historic Monuments: the castle façade, the chapel and its adjoining drawing room, and the remarkable beech and hornbeam hedges.

Between 1938 and 1943, the castle belonged to the Department. From 1939 onwards, it served as a safe repository for works of art from the Bargoin Museum and the Ranquet Museum, as well as for the collections of the Strasbourg Library, which had been evacuated following the annexation of Alsace.

Unable to maintain the estate, the Department sold the castle in 1943 to Mr. Corbeil. Ten years later, overwhelmed by the scale of the undertaking, he sold it to Arsen Terakopiantz. His acquisition of the estate in 1954 marked the beginning of its revival. Among his first achievements was the restoration of the hornbeam hedges, which had been neglected for nearly forty years.

In 1965, Maître Péchaud, a Parisian notary, became the owner and launched a second major restoration campaign. He replanted the formal garden beds, restored and refurnished the castle interiors.

in 1972 installed the two watchtowers on the footbridge. These had originally stood atop the square tower and at the corner of the lower garden.

Finally, in 1980, he created a pond on the site of the former reservoir. Maître Péchaud remained the owner of the estate for forty-three years, steadily pursuing the restoration and enhancement of both the castle and its gardens.

In 1984, the castle was used as a filming location for the 1985 movie *The Bride*, starring Sting.

Since 2024, the current owners have continued this long tradition of preservation. Among the first restoration projects they undertook was the replanting of roses within the boxwood parterres, which had remained empty since 2008.

For more than eight centuries, Cordès Castle and its gardens have continually evolved under successive owners, shaped by the course of history and successive restoration campaigns. From a medieval fortress to an elegant country residence, from a refuge for works of art during the Second World War to a carefully restored historic estate since the mid-20th century, the property stands as a living testament to a heritage that continues to evolve.
Today, its current owners are proud to carry this legacy forward. Their commitment continues the work of all those who, over the centuries, have helped preserve, restore, and bring new life to the castle and its gardens, ensuring that this remarkable place of history can continue to be discovered and appreciated by future generations.