Restoring historic monuments in Provence
Château de la Calade: at the heart of the restoration of a historic monument in Aix-en-Provence
Winner of the 2025 Mission Patrimoine, the Château de la Calade in Aix-en-Provence is undertaking restoration work on its façades and roofs. The 2026 European Heritage Days will allow the public to discover this historic monument while it is still a building site.
Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux ·
On 19 and 20 September 2026, as part of the European Heritage Days, the Château de la Calade in Puyricard (Aix-en-Provence) will open its doors in an unusual setting: part of its façades will be hidden by scaffolding, some rooms will be inaccessible, and several companies involved in the restoration will be showcasing their expertise on site. This unique visit is the result of a story that has been unfolding for nearly four centuries, and of a restoration that has become urgent for this listed historic monument, which has belonged to the same family for sixteen generations.
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A pleasure château built in 1632
The Château de la Calade entered the Duranti family in August 1632, when Hiérôme Duranti, a councillor at the Cour des comptes, aides et finances of Provence, acquired it. Instead of the medieval tower of the Bastida Isnardorum, built in 1411 by Antoine Isnard, he had a summer residence constructed. The first building campaign, from 1633 to 1653, gave rise to the current château: a heavy, austere-looking parallelepiped on two levels, originally flanked by four corner towers, two of which were demolished during the French Revolution. Since its acquisition, the château has never left the family: it still belongs to the descendants of the Durantis, some sixteen generations later.
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Remarkable interior décor
The interior of the château boasts a remarkable collection of décor. The grand staircase is adorned with richly detailed gypseries (sculpted plaster) in the Mannerist style, dating from 1634 and inspired by the décors found in the townhouses of Aix-en-Provence. The residence was subsequently remodelled several times by the Durantis, always in keeping with the original work: a suite of rooms was installed on the first floor as early as 1710, and in the early 19th century a salon and bedroom were decorated with wallpapers in the Empire style. Among them is a panoramic paper known as the 'Jardins de Bagatelle', dated 1804 and considered one of the earliest examples of panoramic wallpaper in France. A tree-lined park, complete with a wooded area, completes the ensemble.
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A historic monument weakened by time
The entire château and the surviving parts of its historic park were listed as historic monuments in May 2011; by decree of 20 January 2015, the château itself—excluding its outbuildings and park, which remained listed—was classified as a historic monument. However, this status has not prevented the building from deteriorating over time: according to the Fondation du patrimoine, the masonry is now weakened, the roof overhangs have sagged, the joinery is degraded, the rainwater drainage system is faulty, and a retaining wall on the terrace is at risk of collapse in the short term.
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Winner of Mission Patrimoine 2025: a step, not an endpoint
In 2025, the Château de la Calade was selected by Mission Patrimoine, led by Stéphane Bern and implemented by the Fondation du patrimoine with the support of the Ministry of Culture and FDJ United, as one of 102 projects chosen nationwide and one of six sites in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. This selection earned it a grant of €235,000, partly from the FDJ's 'Mission Patrimoine' games. However, this distinction should not be mistaken for the completion of the work: it represents an initial funding, which is added to other public and private grants as well as a fundraising campaign led with the Fondation du patrimoine, for a project with an estimated total cost of €1.1 million. The project is being overseen by Philippe Matonti, an architect specialising in heritage restoration.
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Current work on the building’s envelope and roof
The first phase of the project, currently underway, focuses on making the building watertight: restoration of three façades of the château on the terrace side, revision of the roof coverings, restoration of the renderings, stonework, joinery and ironwork, as well as the reconstruction of the retaining wall of the parterre threatened with collapse and the restoration of the calade (cobbled courtyard) of the main courtyard and the rainwater drainage systems. The cost of this first phase is estimated at €551,279. The work, which is due to begin at the end of 2025, is expected to be completed by spring 2028. The interiors, adorned with décors from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, should then benefit from further restoration in a later phase.
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European Heritage Days 2026: seeing the restoration work from the inside
It is in this context of ongoing restoration that the château will open its doors on 19 and 20 September 2026 for the European Heritage Days. The façades on the terrace side will be partially hidden by scaffolding, and some interior rooms will be exceptionally inaccessible or rearranged, with furniture and objects removed. However, the majority of the château, its décors and its history will remain accessible to visitors. This situation offers a rare opportunity to discover the behind-the-scenes of a historic monument restoration project: some of the companies involved in the work will be holding workshops to showcase their expertise on site. Free access to the exterior is available without booking, with a suggested donation earmarked for the restoration; guided tours of the interiors, led by heritage guides, require advance booking. The funds collected during this event will also be allocated to the château’s restoration.
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