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.
What a strange world these kings and their families lived in.
ReplyDeleteThat last picture is interesting - you can see through making me think the chateau is one room deep, like Cheverny.
ReplyDeleteI took a picture through a window one time looking into the château. The room I saw was gigantic and there was no furniture inside to be seen. The hardwood floor looked new.
Delete