Maison Riquet hides inside, beyond the large door that opens onto the street of the same name in the center of Castelnaudary, its most precious treasure: the unexpected greenery that grows luxuriantly on the back of the house.
The garden of Maison Riquet envelops the house like an embrace and transmits a delicate atmosphere to the interiors that invites calm and relaxation.
Maison Riquet and its green paradise
After the purchase by the two young owners, both named Loïc, the works took longer than expected due to the pandemic which delayed both the renovation of the building and the transformation of the already magnificent garden into a real Eden with heated swimming pool and Jacuzzi.
Maison Riquet opened its doors to its guests on 24 March this year by offering comfortable rooms and common areas in which the atmosphere of the time in which the house was built has remained intact: the furnishings and ornaments refer to a neo-baroque poem in line with the late 1700s.
In fact, the palace was built in 1774 and, among the difficulties that Loïc and Loïc had to overcome to create the residence in which to welcome those who decide to stop over in Castelnaudary, there was that of being able to insert in this ancient house the comforts of contemporary life, without altering its spirit.
You immediately get the impression of having crossed the threshold of one of those residences which at the time were the homes of the French upper class. The hôtel particulier come to mind, luxurious buildings of vast dimensions, of which we have read the meticulous description in the great novels of 19th and 20th century literature. The characters who have passed through here are real. The Maison takes its name from the main street of the town in turn dedicated to the engineer Pierre-Paul Riquet, “father” of the Canal du Midi, one of the most daring engineering works ever made in Europe.
And in 1890 it was inhabited by General Laperrine d’Hautpoul who, born in Castelnaudary, became commander of the Saharan territories from 1883 to 1920. And in the Sahara desert he died on March 5, 1920 in Tanezrouft in Algeria during the first aerial crossing of the area. His plane landed low on gas and sank in the sand. General Laperrine, seriously wounded in the chest and left collarbone, could not resist the lack of water and food.
If it is history that speaks within the walls of the house, in the garden the gush of water from the large fountain that is the same age as the house does it cheerfully. On sunny days, like the one that Castelnaudary gave us, it’s nice to enjoy the garden with Jacuzzi and heated swimming pool set in the greenery that peek out behind the water features.
Outside, the volume of the Maison has been preserved and doors and windows have been left in place.
Inside, Loïc and Loïc have given great importance to details everywhere, combining ancient and modern and personal touches linked to their experiences.
During dinner based on cassoulet, the typical dish of Castelnaudary, in the splendid garden, they told us their stories which together led to the birth of Maison Riquet. The two friends worked in completely different fields but at a certain point they realized that their professional life in the field of finance and economics no longer satisfied them. So they started looking for a place where they could be “reborn” by investing time and energy in an experience that would bring them into contact with people in a different, more authentic and direct way.
The choice fell on Castelnaudary, not only because it is one of the most beautiful villages along the Canal du Midi, but also and above all because it is the country of origin of one of the two Loïcs who told us with emotion that the house where his grandparents lived it was not far from Maison Riquet.
The tranquility of the town and the austere beauty of the main facade which overlooks one of the main streets in contrast with the cheeky one of the luxuriant internal garden where welcome guests are curious cats and hens incubating small blue eggs, did the rest.
In the welcoming home, flair, passion and Baroque spirit coexist especially in the choice of colors that give their name to the rooms which will soon become seven.
Our? The Chambre Rouge, located on the first floor, large and bright, with a view of the Grand Bassin. It is accessed by a spectacular wooden staircase that gives harmony to the whole context that plays between the tapestries and the gilding of mirrors, candlesticks, lamps and antique clocks.
The living room and dining room are the most formal and classic areas of the house with furniture arranged in a linear fashion. In the first there is a spectacular grand piano, in the second the large table dominates where you have breakfast in the morning together with the other guests of the house.
We felt welcomed as friends rather than guests and we took advantage of the regenerating dips in the pool and the hydromassage in the Jacuzzi to shake off the accumulated tiredness: Maison Riquet was a perfect break in our on the road through a whole France to discover!
Maison Riquet
Riquet Street, 23 – Castelnaudary – France
Info: +33 768 528037 – maisonriquet.castelnaudary@hotmail.com
www.maisonriquet.fr
