In Saint-Didier, at the foot of Mont Ventoux, Château de Thézan is reopening for the season, with new halls and a new garden exhibition.
A turbulent history
Behind its high wrought iron gates, in the village of Saint-Didier near Mont Ventoux, Château de Thézan never ceases to win us over with its many charms. These charms had been damaged or hidden by successive transformations, until it was completely abandoned for thirty years.
The château was built around 1500 on the foundations of a Gallo-Roman villa and for nearly three centuries remained the property of the noble Comtadine family of the Marquis de Thézan-Venasque, who transformed it according to architectural and landscape fashions.
In the 19th century, it changed hands several times until its acquisition in 1862 by a doctor from Carpentras. It then became a luxurious hydrotherapy treatment centre. Having been a rest clinic in the 1930s, the castle closed its doors definitively in the 1980s and the complex it formed with its grounds then fell into neglect.
The château’s reopening in 2022
The rebirth of this astonishing stately home is the work of Pierre and Emmanuel, who bought it in 2019, determined to restore it to its former splendour. After nearly 3 years of work, it was opened to the public in 2022. Visitors were initially only able to explore the grounds, then some of the rooms and halls, as the building underwent restoration work.
In 2024, after arriving via the main courtyard, finally clear of the works, visitors will be able to explore the 17th century wing, comprising two large state rooms, the King’s bedroom and the chapel. Don’t miss a visit to the old hydrotherapy centre, with its astonishing light therapy cabins and its swimming pool with bevelled tiles, reminiscent of the interior of the Paris Metro which opened at the same time.
Like every year since the opening, the park and the main courtyard will host the works of an artist. In 2024, the works will be those of the photographer, Michel Jolyot.
Château de Thézan
58 rue du Château
84210 Saint-Didier
contact@chateaudethezan.com
Open from 1 May to 30 September, except Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Group visits are possible on other dates,
depending on availability and demand
(max. 30 persons or 60 with the group split in two)
€10/person, guided tour
€8/person, for groups of over 15 people
Guided tours in French. Audioguide (downloadable on your phone) in English, German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch.
©A. Hocquel, V. Gillet