Skip to content

May > October

Château d'Esparron
  • Bed & Breakfast
  • Apartment
  • Booking
    • Secure Payment
    • Availability and booking
  • The castle
    • Some history…
    • What the reviews says
    • Access map
  • Activities
    • Things to do
    • What to see
    • Where to eat
  • Contact
  • Important
  • Français
Search

May > October

Château d'Esparron
  • Bed & Breakfast
  • Apartment
  • Booking
    • Secure Payment
    • Availability and booking
  • The castle
    • Some history…
    • What the reviews says
    • Access map
  • Activities
    • Things to do
    • What to see
    • Where to eat
  • Contact
  • Important
  • Français
  • Home
  • Some history…
jardin et campanile

Some history…

peinture-famille-de-castellaneThe Castellane family

In 972 Pons-Arbald, cousin of the Comte d’Apt and comrade in arms of the Comte de Provence, Guillaume le Libérateur, during the victory over the Sarrasins at La Garde Freinet, affirmed his domination over the vast territory of the Haut Verdon by building a fortress on the cliffs at Castellane. A descendant of his appeared in a document for the first time in 1089 under the name of Bonifacius de Petra Castellana.

In the 12th Century the Baron de Castellane ruled over a large part of Haute Provence, with the right to mint money and administer justice.

In 1146 came the first uprising by a coalition united by the Baron de Castellane against the Comte de Provence Raymond Bérenger II. Beaten, Boniface II had to submit to the ceremony of homage, bare-headed with hands together, down on his knees.

In 1218 Boniface V married Agnès Spada, heiress to the fiefdom of Riez, and gained possession of the whole Bas Verdon region including a share of the fief of Esparron with the d’Esparron family. Boniface then built the 30 meter defensive tower which still overlooks the village.

The last independent feudal seigneur in Provence, his son Boniface VI fought against the Comte de Provence, Charles 1st d’Anjou.

Before the final assault on the fortress at Castellane he had time to write:

sigillum-bonifacii-de-castellana“If one day I meet his agents (the Comte de Provence’s) who fight against me, I will kill them: I will smite them until my sword is bloody and my lance almost in pieces. And he who will give up the fight, wrongly, and try to flee, if I do not kill him I promise never to lie down again with my wife who I love above all.”

In 1448 Raymond de Castellane married Alix d’Esparron and from them Esparron became the sole property of the Castellane family.  The great stone spiral staircase was then  built to merge the two castles in one.

In 1780 Joseph Jean-Baptiste de Castellane (1704-1790) finished re-building the south-east wing of the château. He had no children from his marriage to Julie de Simiane (great-granddaughter of Madame de Sévignié) and so passed the château to a nephew, Joseph Léonard de Castellane (1761-1845).

During the Revolution Joseph Léonard emigrated to England, in 1791. The château was confiscated and sold by the state, and Joseph Léonard’s wife, Charlotte d’Andrieu de Moncalvel, divorced him temporarily in order to buy it back.

In 1989 Louis-Provence de Castellane, Marquis d’Esparron, having no male heirs, gave the château to his nephew Bernard, whose children Boniface, Rose and Pierre make the 32nd generation of Castellanes.

Some notable figures connected to the family

chateaufamille-2Pierre de Castellane fought in the First Crusade (1096-1099)

Madame de Grignan (1746-1705) daughter of Madame de Sévigné, married to François de Castellane, comte de Grignan, Lieutenant-Général of Provence.

Henri-César, Marquis de Castellane Majastre (1733-1789) commander of ‘Le Marseillais’, a 74 canon vessel, took part in the decisive victoire navale décisive de Chesapeake in 1781 against the English fleet during the American War of Independence.

Michel-Ange de Castellane, Ambassador to the Sublime Porte for Louis XV and owner of the château de Villandry

Françoise de Castellane Norante, Marquise de Mirabeau (1685-1769), grandmother of celebrated orator Mirabeau.

Joseph Léonard de Castellane, Marquis d’Esparron (1761-1845) Founder and first president of the South of France Archeological Society.

Ernestine de Castellane Majastre 1788-1850, married Fouché, Duc d’Otrante.

Maréchal de Castellane 1788 – 1862 : participated brilliantly in Napoléon’s military campaigns, rising from corporal to colonel in the Russian campaign were he lost his right hand to frostbite.Under the Second Empire he was military governor of Lyon, and was made Maréchal de France on 2nd December 1852.

Boni de Castellane 1867 – 1932 : well-known Belle-Epoque dandy, politician and art-connaisseur.

Discover the castle

3D reconstruction of the Esparron dungeon
Phase 1

3D reconstruction of the Esparron dungeon
Phase 2

Secure Payment
Availability & Booking
Tripadvisor 2022

Bed and Breakfast
Self catering apartments
Booking

From May to October
Bernard & Charlotte Anne de Castellane
04800 Esparron de Verdon, France
+33 (0)6 64 65 17 00
Contact
Access

Share

  • Château d’Esparron is neither a palazzo nor a luxury hotel: simply put, it’s a beautiful and authentic Provençal castle, home to its original family and full of its original furniture.
    Amongst other things, there are no televisions or minibars in the rooms, although there is a communal fridge at your disposal. The rooms are en-suite, equipped with bathtubs but not stand-up showers. There is no air conditioning in the room, but as long as you keep your windows closed during the daytime and open them at night, the meter-thick medieval stonewalls will keep the room at a very agreeable temperature. A contumacious Wi-Fi network is one of the few hints of the modern world. You will get the chance to admire and ascend the monumental stone spiral staircase, but, without the help of a lift, getting to your room is a fitness challenge in itself. Each room looks out onto the same bucolic view of the countryside (not the lake).
    It is a mistake to think that the countryside is silent at night. Nocturnal noises simply emanate from different sources than in the city. For instance, the church bell tolls throughout the night and you might be awoken by the occasional whistle of an owl. The yellow and pearl rooms are closest to one of the village fountains, and you will be able to hear the gentle sound of running water from the bedroom unless you opt for another room.
    Furthermore, although the castle is fairly close to the gorges du Verdon canyon, it still is 50 minutes away by car, but the road there crosses the Valensole plateau and we can assure you that it is absolutely stunning. Finally, we regret to say that we do not allow pets in the house. That doesn’t mean that you need to leave yours at home, as you can always let yours sleep in the car or intrust it to one of our neighbors who provides a dog sitting service (06 71 54 26 42).
    If you aren’t put off by the above, we will do our best to ensure that you have an unforgettable stay with us.

  • Mentions légales / Legal notice
  • Politique de confidentialité / Privacy policy