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Lacoste castle and the marquis de Sade

Sade monument, Lacoste | Millevache / CC-BY-SA
Castle Imprisonment Torture Marquis de Sade Lacoste castle

The site was occupied since the Gallo-Roman era; Lacoste was called Costa in the 11th century: at that time, we found a huge fortress here, called Château Vieux ("old castle"), altered in the 12th century.

The Simiane family, who inherited the seigneurie, raised the Château neuf ("new castle") in the 16th century, a more comfortable dwelling.

But village of Lacoste became a den of Catholic heretics, the Vaudois. The baron d'Oppède and his troops came, expelled them and demolished the new castle! Owners rebuilt it in 1590.

Then the Simiane family gave their estate to a cousin, Gaspard-François de Sade, lord of Saumane, in the 18th century. Sade, who had 10 children...

We know the most famous one, Donatien-Alphonse-François, the famous marquis, who was born in the castle in 1740! His father gave him Lacoste when he married, in May 1763.

Our marquis refit it sumptuously; he even fit out a theatre! Plundered during the French Revolution, Lacoste was sold by Sade in 1796. Then it was abandoned...

In the middle of the 20th century, a teacher from Lacoste owned the castle and restored it. Nowadays, it's the property of French fashion designer Pierre Cardin.

About the the author

Vinaigrette
I'm fond of strolls and History, with juicy and spicy details!