Bellegarde in pictures

One of king Louis XIV's famous mistresses, known as Madame de Montespan, spent a lot of time at Bellegarde over the course of the 17th century. Her full name was Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart and she was a "favorite" of the king. She had seven children by him. Another of her children, a son named Louis-Antoine de Pardaillan de Gondrin, served as an officer in the Sun King's army for a while, but he was eventually disgraced for making a strategic mistake in a battle and was removed from service. He owned the Château de Bellegarde, but I'm not sure how he acquired it. During his years as the lord of Bellegarde, he had a lot of out-buildings built around the château, turning it into a big complex. Thanks to the Michelin Green Guide for that information.