En un regard
Le château en bref
The Château de la Grande Riedera is a tower manor house located in the hamlet of Essert, in the municipality of Le Mouret (Fribourg). The site, whose name derives from the Germanic family name Ried, was held from the 14th century by the Gottrau family, who played a considerable role in the government of Fribourg from the 16th century onwards. It was they who had the two castles on the site built: the Petite-Riedera, constructed in the 1580s for Marti Gottrau, and then the Grande-Riedera, erected in 1638–1639 on the edge of the terrace. The Gottraus retained the estate until 1804, when they sold it to Dom Augustin de Lestrange, abbot of La Trappe, who had been driven out of France by the Revolution; the manor house was then enlarged. Considered one of the best-preserved private castles in the region, it was completely restored in 1989. Surrounded by a boundary wall and two enclosed gardens, the main body is linked to a raised stair tower topped with a conical roof. Maintained by a foundation, it now houses guest rooms, receptions and seminars.
