My Castle, My Garden – A private castle in the south of France
A couple of years ago, I spent a week in the south of France exploring the towns of the Gard department. The city of Nimes, where there are numerous Roman historical sites. Uzes, the first duchy of France. And the Pont du Gard, an aqueduct that is considered one of the highest pieces of Roman architecture. But my love of gardens made me search for any mention of beautiful villas and gardens that would be available to view while in this area. The dry Mediterranean climate of the southern part of France is not always conducive to ornate gardens. But I found one. A private villa and garden located in the vicinity of the Pont du Gard. There were only a few references to the castle, Chateau St Privat, on the internet. So when I got to Uzes, I called and made an appointment to visit the castle.
When I entered the castle, I was immediately met by a petite bird-like woman with red hair and hard piercing eyes. She paced the floor, waiting impatiently for me.
“How did you find out about my castle?” she demands she as he looks me straight in the eye.
“I was doing some internet research on gardens in the south of France and I saw a mention of Chateau St Privat.”
I continue with my explanation about how I found information about your garden on the Internet and then I visited the Pont du Gard asking questions at the tourist office. The tourist office eventually provided me with the information on how to contact them for permission to visit the gardens.
“Of course: the Internet.” She says and looks satisfied and walks away.
“Come with me!” She orders and disappears through the halls of the castle.
Our destination is a long garden room with elaborate wrought-iron doors opening onto the first terrace of the gardens. The afternoon sun illuminates and warms the room. Red Persian rugs, yellow Louis XV furniture, and red marble tables fill the room. The walls are covered with ornate hand-carved wood paneling. Despite the French antiques, the room feels lived in. To one side is a wicker chair, tilted upside down while it is being repaired. Papers are scattered on the tables and a small Westie terrier runs circles around my feet.
Wrought iron gates open onto a huge terraced garden. The park-like setting of the upper terrace extends to the outside with an unobstructed view of a large gray statue of Neptune reclining in the middle of a pond. Ancient yews and cypresses form a backdrop with a canopy that perfectly frames Neptune. Along the perimeter of the upper garden are a series of statues looking out towards the castle and Neptune. Its origins seem almost lost to history, with many aspects of the garden dating back to the 17th century.
As we walk through the garden, Madame Fenwick begins to tell me about her childhood and growing up in the castle with her grandfather.
“When I was a child, the castle, the surrounding grounds and the vineyards were part of our estate. Our main residence was in Paris, but we would visit it during the holidays and the summer. My grandfather, who was director of the Paris Opera, would invite artists and musicians from the opera to come to the castle to enjoy a break from the city”.
His grandfather, Jacques Rouch, had married into one of the oldest French perfume families, LT Piver. In 1896, he became manager of the perfume company and patented amyl salicylate, the first aromatic chemical to be synthesized. He was also one of the initiators of the drive to make the JT Piver name an international brand. After his success in the perfume business, he became Director of the Paris Opera. His dedication to rejuvenating the faltering Paris Opera earned him the nickname “The Man Who Saved the Paris Opera.” He remained the Director from 1914 to 1944.
When I look up at the castle, the wrought iron gates almost disappear into the massive castle façade. They are no longer the main focal point, but the castle with its massive ocher exterior and towers now commands all the attention. Even Neptune fades to an inconsequential dot on the landscape. No sounds come out except the singing of birds. To the far right, the River Gardon forms a rim along the edge of the gardens and meanders through the woodland. Occasionally you can see the kayakers as they float down the river.
We descend to the lower garden through a series of stairs. The sidewalk runs perpendicular to the retaining wall leading away from the castle to the farthest point of the garden; where the conservatory and a tall ornate fountain come together to form the edge of the property. Urns with red geraniums create a border along the sidewalk leading to the rear of the garden.
Madame Fenwick and I climbed the stairs back to the upper level of the garden. She goes back to the castle while I stay to take pictures. After several minutes, she returns and asks if I’d like to see inside the castle.
The castle stands on the site of an ancient Roman villa. Its Roman connection has always been maintained through the centuries. Three km from the castle is the Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct that is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the centuries, the aqueduct and the castle were owned and maintained by the same family. However, the cost of maintaining the aqueduct became unmanageable and eventually, in the early 1900s, the aqueduct was sold to the French government.
The most famous room in the château is where Richelieu signed the Peace Treaty of Ales in 1629. In the center of the room is a massive table and leather-backed, hand-carved wooden chairs that have been passed down through the centuries. to each successive owner. On the wall is a portrait of King Louis XIII of France. Richelieu was considered the first Prime Minister of France and helped Louis XIII consolidate his power during the 17th century. The walls of the room are painted a dark blood red. The wooden slate roof is very typical of French castles of this era.
For more than 400 years the castle was owned by the noble Faret family. They were one of the many Protestants who inhabited this region. The growing influence of the Protestants along with the Huguenots antagonized the Catholic population, resulting in a series of wars that tried to prevent the Protestant religion from gaining prominence. Chateau St. Privat was the site of the 1629 Peace of Ales between Richelieu and the Protestants. The treaty granted religious tolerance to Protestants.
As we near the end of the tour, Madame Fenwick walks into a small modern sitting room with a miniature refrigerator and offers me a chair. She opens a bottle of French rosé and pours us both a glass. As we relax, she continues to talk about her grandfather and her friends, the Duchess of Uzes and Viscount Mogere. She is placed in a reclining position, with her arm on the back of the upright chair and her legs pointing out at an angle. At first I stare at her, wondering what she’s doing. Then I realize; she’s posing like the old-fashioned movie stars; her gracefully positioning herself on the chair.
About Chateau St Privat
Chateau St Privat is located within the Pont du Gard park on the northeast side of the bridge near the village of Vers-Pont-du-Gard. There is a small gate that is a short distance from the Pont du Gard bridge that says “No Trespassing”. Their contact telephone number is 04-66-37-36-36 and the entrance is 8 euros. Also, the park’s main office can give you directions if you need help finding the place.
Holiday rentals in Languedoc France