THE ESTATE

In the beginning, Château La Bruguière was an agricultural dwelling, commonly called a “mas”, which over time transformed into an aristocratic residence. The construction of such a complex was carried out gradually, between the 15th century and the 19th century. It is the work of the Rodier family. The history of this estate and this family reflects that of the Cévennes, from medieval agricultural economy, through the wars of religion, feudal lifestyle, and the French revolution.

Originally, Pierre Rodier, bishop of Carcassonne in 1300, called his nephews to Languedoc and had them settle in Carcassonne, Alais, and Anduze. It is the descendants of Anduze who built La Bruguière in the mid-15th century, near a water point as it should be. In the 18th century, Antoine Rodier, Lord of La Bruguière, expanded the house both vertically and horizontally, incorporating a central light well inspired by the atrium design of Roman villas. His son, lawyer in the Toulouse parliament, who had been ennobled, continued to transform the estate into a neoclassical pleasure castle with formal French gardens. The lands of La Bruguière then extended over half of the plain, between the roads of Quissac and St Hippolyte du Fort. In 1858, Ernestine Rodier de la Bruguière, heir to the estate despite being a woman, married but decided to keep her maiden name. Her daughter Louise, without descendants, will be the last to inhabit this place. La Bruguière remained in the same family for 500 years.

This estate still echoes the memory of its past. Evidence of an underground passage, a basin collecting spring water, and a water circuit supplying the garden endows it with a timeless charm, hence why locals fondly refer to it as “the castle.”