History

The property has been occupied from the 13th Century by successive Seigneurs (the French equivalent of Lords), the most famous of these being David Maurice Mathieu, Comte de la Redorte, General of the French Empire and peer of the realm (1768 – 1833). 

During his illustrious career in the French army the Comte de La Redorte fought under Napoleon in the Peninsular Wars.  Legend has it that for a period of 6 months the Comte was held under house arrest at the château for reasons that aren’t clear, but was exonerated in June of 1810 by the Emperor Napoleon. It is during this time that the tunnel under the village from the château was built to give him full access to his land whilst still respecting his ‘sentence’. 

The Comte later became Commander in Chief of the 19th Military Division and Pair de France (peer of the realm) under Louis XVII.  In 1820 he was awarded the Grand Croix de la Legion D’Honneur and retired in 1831.  His son, Joseph Charles Maurice Mathieu de la Redorte, renovated the château in 1849. The Comte de la Redorte’s great-great-great-great-granddaughter, Mme d’Artois, still owns and will continue to live in a wing of the château.