Château des évêques de Montpellier, Historical castle in Lavérune, France.

The Château des évêques de Montpellier in Lavérune has a facade of rough grey and tan stone blocks. At its centre is a large arched doorway with a flat dark red double door, above which a stone moulding forms a pointed arch. Three carved arched recesses sit in a row higher up, with a small square niche above the central one.

The Fredol family owned the first castle here from 975. In 1579 the Pelet family hosted Catherine de' Medici during a plague in Montpellier, and in 1622 Louis XIII used the house as headquarters for the siege of Montpellier. Bishop de Pradel acquired it in 1692, and Bishop de Croissy, nephew of Colbert, turned it into a summer residence over forty years, employing architect Charles Daviler from 1696.

The upper floor music room displays elaborate plasterwork decorated with musical instruments and trophies that reveal the artistic interests of its former residents. These decorations show the refined tastes of the families who called this place home.

The castle is home to the Hofer-Bury Museum, which opens on weekends during afternoon hours and during special exhibitions throughout the year. Check ahead about current exhibitions to ensure you can access the interior when you visit.

The three arched recesses above the doorway, framed in carved stone, are what remains of the medieval fortress the Fredol family held from 975. The bishops' 18th-century rebuilding kept this facade element, so the wall shows two construction periods at once.