CHÂTEAU DE LARÉOLE

The General Council of Haute-Garonne acquired the castle in 1984. Through ambitious restoration, this heritage classified as a historical monument is now open to the public. From May to September, a number of services are offered to visitors : guided tours, contemporary art exhibitions, live shows.

Guided tours for groups are available all year round by prior arrangement.

From 9 July to 30 August, the château, grounds and courtyard are open to the public from Thursday to Monday from 10am to 6pm.

From Thursday 9 July to Sunday 30 August, free guided tours lasting around 1 hour 15 minutes are available at 10.30am / 1.30pm and 3.30pm, subject to prior booking.
To book, click on the link below:
www.hautegaronnetourisme.com/visites-lareole/

In 1579, Pierre de Cheverry, a great pastel merchant and an exceptional person, called on the most prominent architect of the Toulouse Renaissance, Dominique Bachelier, to undertake the construction of the Château de Laréole.
The construction of Laréole, as a holiday resort, was completed in a very short space of time (just 3 years), made possible by the owner's considerable means.

Château de Laréole has the severe appearance of a castle built during the Wars of Religion (moats, guardrooms, towers). But the defensive character is softened by the polychrome stone and brickwork that is so typical of Laréole.
When you enter the courtyard, the fortress is completely forgotten. The sober decor and the courtyard give the whole a charm inherited from the Italian Renaissance.
The originality of Laréole's architecture lies in this transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, between fortification and pleasure residence. The main building is an example of the avant-garde architecture of the period. A testament to Cheverry's taste for luxury, it features a modern layout combining a large reception room and flats.
Pierre de Cheverry wanted a building in the "finest French tradition".

The property remained in the Cheverry family until 1707, when a wealthy banker from Toulouse, Jean-Pierre Colomès, bought it.
He embellished the château with a perron and galleries adorned with gypseries, but above all he had the gardens laid out in the grand tradition of 18th-century gardens, with more than 20 hectares of parkland. This layout, based on the principle of "French gardens", is a perfect balance between large vistas, planted parterres and wooded areas.