Château du Caire

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Château du Caire is a former agricultural estate located north of Tourrettes-sur-Loup (Alpes-Maritimes), at an altitude of about 825 metres, offering a panorama over the Mediterranean. Built in 1646 by César de Villeneuve as a country house (a Provençal mas) rather than as a fortress, it was enlarged in the 18th century by the addition of two massive square towers, in 1754 and in 1765. The building preserves an interior chapel consecrated in 1892, a dovecote built into the roof frame, a double stone staircase descending towards the "Jardin des Dames" and a horseshoe-shaped fountain dated 1769. Owned by the Villeneuve family until the French Revolution, the estate was confiscated and sold as national property, then divided among several families in the 19th century. Threatened by a plan to sell it to an American film producer that would have restricted access to the site, the 123-hectare estate, traditionally open to walkers, was bought back by the commune of Tourrettes-sur-Loup in late December 2021 through the right of pre-emption, for 3 million euros with the support of the State, the Region, the Département and the Casa, in order to preserve this local heritage and to develop an agricultural project alongside a restoration of the buildings.