The Chateau
Feudal in the 13th century - rebuilt in the 17th century
Romantic in the 19th century
"The garden of Armide planted in the desert", Barbey d'Aurevilly
Its history in a few dates
On the Fondat property, the discovery of carved flint testifies to human occupation since prehistoric times. But the presence of a castle in Fondat begins in the Middle Ages.
Founder, initiallyScottish feudal stronghold was ceded in 1260 to the princess of Béarn, Constance Vicomtesse de Marsan. She first married the eldest son of the King of Aragon, she became a widow andremarried at Windsor to the nephew of the King of England Henry of Cornwall of Germany. This princess founded the bastide of Saint Justin by deed of parage with the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem – Order of Malta.
In the 16th century, Fondat was in ruins and taken over by Jehan de Malartic, thanks to the grant of 2000 crowns given by King Henri IV. The Malartic family, of chivalrous extraction, then kept it for almost 3 centuries.
In the 18th and 19th centuries. Fondat and its garden with rare species, became the meeting place for people of letters. André Chénier, poet, major figure of Hellenism in France, drew his inspiration there during long walks with Abel de Malartic. Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly also wrote to Fondat.
Under the 1st and 2nd Empires, the Malartics still shine in Paris. Napoleon III also offered the fireplace and the ceiling which still adorn the Grand Salon today. At the end of the 19th century, the Malartics lost Fondat, who once again fell into a state of advanced dilapidation.
In 1966, Max Lavielle and Henriette d'Aspe set out to save it. They became friends with the descendants of Jehan de Malartic. In 1999, the Château, interior - exterior, the Grand Pavilion, the stables, the Colombier, the winery and the park were listed as Historic Monuments.
In 2010, through marital alliances, families came together More than seven centuries after the founding of Saint Justin by the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, the Sovereign Order of Malta is still present in Fondat in its humanitarian mission , thanks to the personal investment of its owners.
Architecture à FONDAT
LE GRAND PAVILLON
Under Henri IV, tLe Grand Pavillon was a dependency of the household staff.
In the 18th century, it housed a silkworm farm. It will be refacade in a neo-Gothic style returning from the emigrants in the 19th century. Today it houses our reception rooms
Mais aussi...
Privilege granted by Louis XV to the Count of Malartic.
17th century STAIRWELL in natural stone. Located at the entrance to the Castle
The castle is reflected in it.
The old moat walls were brought to light during the last
desilting of the basin.
The Park
Fondat's Zelkovas, a botanical curiosity!
"Gulliver", Zelkova labeled as a remarkable tree in France, from the elm family, native to northern Iran and the Caucasus, a very vulnerable species which develops marvelously, in Fondat, making it a veritable conservatory. "Gulliver" is over 3 centuries old.
An alley of ancestral Magnolias
Bald Cypresses from Asia
Araucarias
Locate the castle
At heart of the Gascony in land of Armagnac, Fondat invites you to come and discover its unique heritage,
built and planted, listed ISMH.
Backed by its 40-hectare forest, Fondat is located in the Landes, in New Aquitaine, 2km from Saint-Justin.