Château Laurens: the jewel of the Agatha region
If you’re looking for something to do on your next vacation by the Mediterranean, you can’t miss a visit to Château Laurens. Located in Agde, near Béziers, Château Laurens, also known as Villa Laurens, is a true architectural feat. Immerse yourself in the exotic, non-conformist world of Emmanuel Laurens with a visit to Château Laurens.
Unforgettable family vacations at Cap d’Agde in Occitanie, France
Château Laurens: a gift from providence
Emmanuel Laurens was born in Agde on October 14, 1873, into an honest family of master masons. He grew up there with his sister Marguerite in a noble, bourgeois environment. At the age of 23, he left to study medicine in Montpellier. Described as serious but dreamy, Emmanuel Laurens was destined for a tidy future without extravagance. Then his path crossed that of a distant maternal cousin, Baron de Fontenay. An eccentric party-goer, Baron de Fontenay took a liking to the young man. Unfortunately, the Baron passed away only a few months later, leaving behind a considerable fortune. Although he had children and descendants, to everyone’s surprise he designated Emmanuel Laurens as his sole heir.
A dreamer at heart, with a passion for literature, history and art, it came as no surprise when Emmanuel Laurens stopped his studies and embarked on a series of trips around the world: to Egypt, Africa and Madagascar. Then, as fate would have it, a few months later, the sudden death of his father interrupted Emmanuel Laurens’ travels. He was forced to return home. At the age of 24, Emmanuel Laurens found himself at the head of an immense fortune: money, companies and land, including one at Belle-Isle en Agde. In total: almost twelve hectares bordered by the Canal du Midi and the Hérault.
Château Laurens, a place steeped in history
Emmanuel Laurens: an avant-garde Agatha native
In 1897, Emmanuel Laurens undertook extensive work on the Belle-Isle estate. The genius of the location of Château Laurens, known as Belle-Isle, lies first and foremost in this insularity built at the end of the 17th century by nature and technology: on one side the Hérault river and on the other the masterpiece of civil engineering created by Pierre-Paul Riquet. Finally, in 1857, the estate was crossed by a railroad line positioned on an elevated causeway. Emmanuel Laurens even took advantage of this to create his own station stop at the estate, enabling his guests to travel to the château. As for the building itself, he designed the château himself, without an architect, making the house unique in its composition and room layout. His decorative inspirations came from his many travels and his taste for Art Nouveau, inspired by women, nature and the use of curves. A very avant-garde artistic movement for the region. Indeed, Château Laurens is one of the few Art Nouveau buildings in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. In addition to this artistic trend, the residence is a veritable motley collection of inspirations: orientalism, Egyptomania and contemporary furniture made to measure for the residence.
As for the materials used, Emmanuel Laurens was also able to demonstrate his modernity by using reinforced concrete, a material little known at the time. The château was also one of the first homes to be equipped with central heating and electricity. When it came to decorating, Emmanuel Laurens called on the services of artists influenced by the Art Nouveau movement: the painter Eugène Dufour, who painted the grand salon; the decorator and cabinetmaker Léon Cauvy, who created most of the wooden furniture, all unique pieces specially commissioned for the residence; and the interior designer Eugène Simas, who designed the bathroom and its pool-tub decorated with Sarreguemines earthenware, as well as the stained-glass windows in the château’s apartments.
As for the exterior, as for the rest, Emmanuel Laurens spared no expense in landscaping his gardens: trees over a hundred years old, including a huge magnolia that is still there today, a pond with all kinds of fish and aquatic plants, and many varieties of flowers. Finally, he even created an orchard with over 300 fruit trees…
On one of his travels, Emmanuel Laurens met the young singer Louise Blot, whom he married in 1921, the same year he decided to take his doctorate in medicine. The result of this union was the creation of the salon de musique, which today has become a centerpiece of the château. Specially designed for his wife, the salon, with its high ceilings and numerous stained-glass windows, resembled a chapel, and was intended to enable her to give her artistic performances. Unfortunately, however, after years of splendor, parties and receptions, Emmanuel Laurens’ spending on his risky projects weakened his financial situation, forcing him to sell his estate as a life annuity in 1938.
Childless and penniless, Emmanuel Laurens died in Belle-Isle in 1959 at the age of 86.
Emmanuel Laurens will always be remembered as a lover of art and beauty, a traveler and a music lover. He wanted his home to be just like him: unique, lively and marked by art!
Château Laurens: What about today?
The rebirth of Château Laurens
Although Château Laurens had its heyday, it also experienced a darker period during the decline of Emmanuel Laurens.
Requisitioned and damaged by German troops during the Second World War. Ransacked by the new owners of the viager, then left in ruins for several years. The estate lay abandoned for several years before being purchased by the town of Agde in 1994, then classified as a Historic Monument in 1996. The estate was eventually entrusted to the management of the Hérault-Méditerranée agglomeration. Château Laurens underwent extensive restoration work. In total: 6 years of renovation, 15 million euros of investment, and a lengthy recovery of the château’s various furnishings. As luck would have it, a small part of it had been installed in the Musée Agathois Jules Baudou while the estate was being restored. To complete this reconstruction, in 2003 and 2004, the town acquired two other sets of furniture by Léon Cauvy, dating from the 1900s: dining room furniture (two sideboards, a table and a bookcase) and bedroom furniture (a bed, two bedside tables, a wardrobe and two chairs). These pieces of furniture were classified as Historic Monuments on October 10, 2005. On December 3, 2012, thanks to a partnership with the drac, the town of Agde was able to acquire at public auction another set of furniture by Léon Cauvy, signed and dated 1898, whose origin in Agde is attested and which may have come from the villa.
Château Laurens isn’t just about the building and its exceptional rooms. Its 3 natural areas are veritable green jewels open to all, free of charge. From the outset, La Villa Laurens was intended to be a colorful place to live, for the enjoyment of all, and this is what the Hérault-Méditerranée agglomeration wanted to reproduce more than 100 years later. Now under construction, we’ll have to wait a little longer to be able to contemplate the result, but here’s the final project:
The “classic” garden, on the outskirts of the château, features a huge, century-old magnolia tree. More than 6,000 ground covers and 1,000 bulbs have been planted at its foot.
-The luxuriant “central” garden, articulated around large trees and the pond, is currently being renovated. The area around the pond will be embellished with 1,450 plants. 35 trees, 60 larger ones and 210 palms and cacti will complete this part of the park.
-Finally, the refurbished orchard, which will house 540 fruit trees: Brazilian guava, pecan walnut, quince, fig, mulberry, olive, pistachio…
Visit Château Laurens in Agde, Hérault, Occitanie, France
Opening hours
Opening hours :
From June 23, 2023 to August 31, 2023
11 am – 7 pm
Closed: Monday
September 1, 2023 to November 12, 2023
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Closed: Monday
Closed on January 1, May and December 25
Limited number of places, by Book only
Rates :
Full price
18.00€ (Historical guided tour (60 min) )
25.00€ (Guided tour “Emotion” (90 min))
14.00€ (Discovery guided tour (60 min))
9.00€ (Guided tour “The essentials” (40 min))
Reduced rate
14.00€ (Historical guided tour (60 min) – 6 to 26 years)
11.00€ (Guided tour “Discovery” (60 min) – 6 to 26 years old)
7.00€ (Guided tour “The essentials” (40 min) – 6 to 26 years)
This information may be subject to change by the professional.
Camping La Clape Village in Cap d’Agde
Camping La Clape Village
If you’re looking for a vacation in the Hérault region of France, choose the 5-star La Clape Village campsite. Ideally situated on the shores of the Mediterranean and with its own access to the beach, La Clape Village campsite in Cap d’Agde is the perfect holiday destination.
The campsite boasts top-of-the-range mobile homes and cottages, some with their own private heated swimming pools.
For the pleasure of young and old alike, La Clape Village campsite in Cap d’Agde boasts an aquatic area with 2 pools and 3 slides.
