Château de Gourdon

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château de Gourdon, in the Alpes-Maritimes, stands on the site of an earlier fortress built in the 9th century as protection against Saracen raids. In the 12th century the Counts of Provence built a stronghold there, which remained comital property until 1235. In 1469 the seigneury passed to Louis de Villeneuve, and in 1597–1598 it was acquired by Louis de Lombard. The castle was extensively remodelled in the 17th century: in 1610 the arcades and the first floor were built, in the spirit of the Place des Vosges, and in 1653 François de Lombard had the second floor added. The Lombard family kept the castle until the death of Jean-Paul II de Lombard in 1820. The property was sold in 1918 to the American Mae Norris, before passing in 1997 to Laurent Negro. Listed as a historic monument since 1972, the building retains three round corner towers and a Renaissance north façade, as well as a so-called Apothecary's Garden (jardin de l'Apothicaire) laid out anew around 1970.