Saint-Point, Lamartine's hapiness and sadness
And also
The tops
This big stronghold raised in the 12th century was named after lords of Saint-Point, who kept it until the 18th century. Fell to the marquis of Castellane just before the French Revolution, the castle was literally plundered by inhabitants!
Just imagine the estate condition when Pierre de Lamartine owned the castle in 1801! Famous writer Alphonse de Lamartine's father restored the building as best as he could, in order to give it to his son 20 years later. Alphonse immediately moved in with his wife.
He had severals residences, but Saint-Point was his favourite one! The austere look of the castle, the nice park, the stony bench where he wrote contributed to this choice... Anyway, Alphonse worked here and wrote several books, as for instance Harmonies poétiques and Jocelyn.
But... suddenly, a drama! He lost his only daughter then his wife... Saint-Point became his main residence, where he loved to live and work. Alphonse constantly embellished and restored his estate... until he bankrupted himself. The poor chap died in 1869...