Château de la Mogère
Encyclopedia
The Château de la Mogère is a mansion
house near the city of Montpellier
in the French
region of Languedoc-Roussillon
. It is one of many follies surrounding Montpellier
, built by wealthy merchants in the 18th century.
In 1706, the grounds of la Mogère were purchased by Fulcran Limouzin, the local Secrétaire d'État à la Maison du Roi (one of the types of Secretary of State
in France's Ancien Régime). In 1715, architect
Jean Giral
drew the plan for La Mogère, giving it the appearance it still has today.
Its harmonious façade is topped off by a pediment
, standing against a background of pine trees, all in Renaissance-style
.
The grounds and interior, currently owned by the Viscount
Gaston de Saporta, are open for visits. The interior has been kept intact since the 18th century, displaying antique furniture and family portraits from the last three centuries. Amongst the painters represented here are Jean Jouvenet
, Hyacinthe Rigaud
and Jacques-Louis David
.
The garden is a mixture of English garden
and Formal garden style and houses a large fountain built up out of thousands of little seashells and carrying a number of cherub
s.
La Mogère nowadays lies right next to the Autoroute
A9
and in close proximity to the Montpellier - Méditerranée Airport. The last stop of the Montpellier tramway line 1 (Odysseum) is a 10-minute walk away. The Château de Flaugergues
is also nearby.
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
house near the city of Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
region of Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
. It is one of many follies surrounding Montpellier
Montpellier follies
Surrounding the French city of Montpellier are a number of chateaux, old country mansions or follies, built by wealthy merchants, from the 18th century onwards. Some of them had and still have their own wines. Jean Giral was amongst the architects hired by the merchants.The follies are the visible...
, built by wealthy merchants in the 18th century.
In 1706, the grounds of la Mogère were purchased by Fulcran Limouzin, the local Secrétaire d'État à la Maison du Roi (one of the types of Secretary of State
Secretary of State (Ancien Régime)
The Secretary of State was the name of several official governmental positions – supervising war, foreign affairs, the navy, the king's household, the clergy, Paris, and Protestant affairs – during the Ancien Régime in France, roughly equivalent to the positions of governmental...
in France's Ancien Régime). In 1715, architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Jean Giral
Jean Giral
Jean Antoine Giral was a French architect from Montpellier. He designed a number of buildings and structures in this city.- Works :* 1715 Château de la Mogère, Montpellier * 1723 Hôtel de Cambacérès, Montpellier...
drew the plan for La Mogère, giving it the appearance it still has today.
Its harmonious façade is topped off by a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
, standing against a background of pine trees, all in Renaissance-style
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
.
The grounds and interior, currently owned by the Viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
Gaston de Saporta, are open for visits. The interior has been kept intact since the 18th century, displaying antique furniture and family portraits from the last three centuries. Amongst the painters represented here are Jean Jouvenet
Jean Jouvenet
Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet was a French painter, especially of religious subjects.He was born into an artistic family in Rouen...
, Hyacinthe Rigaud
Hyacinthe Rigaud
Hyacinthe Rigaud was a French baroque painter of Catalan origin whose career was based in Paris.He is renowned for his portrait paintings of Louis XIV, the royalty and nobility of Europe, and members of their courts and considered one of the most notable French portraitists of the classical period...
and Jacques-Louis David
Jacques-Louis David
Jacques-Louis David was an influential French painter in the Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era...
.
The garden is a mixture of English garden
English garden
The English garden, also called English landscape park , is a style of Landscape garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal, symmetrical Garden à la française of the 17th century as the principal gardening style of Europe. The...
and Formal garden style and houses a large fountain built up out of thousands of little seashells and carrying a number of cherub
Cherub
A cherub is a type of spiritual being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and cited later on in the Christian biblical canons, usually associated with the presence of God...
s.
La Mogère nowadays lies right next to the Autoroute
Autoroutes of France
The Autoroute system in France consists largely of toll roads, except around large cities and in parts of the north. It is a network of worth of motorways. Autoroute destinations are shown in blue, while destinations reached through a combination of autoroutes are shown with an added autoroute logo...
A9
A9 autoroute
The A9 autoroute is a motorway in southern France. The road forms part of the European route E15, as does the Scottish "A9" ....
and in close proximity to the Montpellier - Méditerranée Airport. The last stop of the Montpellier tramway line 1 (Odysseum) is a 10-minute walk away. The Château de Flaugergues
Château de Flaugergues
The Château de Flaugergues is a castle near Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, southern France. It is one of many follies erected by wealthy merchants surrounding the city. The castle preserves antique furniture and collection of Flemish tapestries....
is also nearby.