Chateau d’Arlens is in the heart of Gascony famous for Armagnac, wine, the duck and the goose. The warm hearted Gascons go out of their way to make one welcome to their unspoilt rural country where the dark sky nights are as beautiful as the blue sky days.
The History
History dates to 1666 but it is evident that there was a property here for centuries before. In 1666 it was inhabited by a nobleman, Dominique d’Esparbes and his family until the Revolution. After 1789 it had a checkered history until it was restored and virtually rebuilt by a local family from Plaisance in the 1850’s. After the first world war Chateau d’Arlens changed hands many times but it earned the reputation of being a haven for those seeking peace and tranquillity. The ‘de Saint Julien’ family bought the chateau after the second world war and it remained in their capable loving hands until the 1980’s. Not only was Arlens a haven for them but they were a haven for Arlens. The chateau hosted many parties; it became once again a centrifugal force for a whole family and even today the family and descendants return just to be enveloped by the spirit of Arlens. The chateau on its knoll has a magic. In 1989 The Earl and Countess of Mayo bought Arlens with its surrounding 63 hectares and prepared to take it into the 21st Century.
The Custodians
The Earldom of Mayo was created in 1785. The family name Bourke is originally European. The Mayos can trace their ancestry back to Pepin Le Bref and subsequently Charlemagne. The family crossed the channel with Guillaume le Conquerant and were awarded at least a quarter of Ireland where they remained (in a very small part). When the 10th Earl of Mayo arrived at Arlens he joked with the locals that it took him 800 years to buy a return ticket !
Recent Times
For the last 33 years, Chateau d’Arlens has continued to be a gathering place for family and friends, keeping the family home spirit alive. For much of this time the chateau was run as a Bed and Breakfast. However during this period it also hosted weddings and special anniversaries in the chateau and the party barn. Today after a few years of restoration, the chateau is ready to be rented for a holiday or any event. We are here to help you settle in and ensure you have a fantastic time.
We wish to continue sharing our home with others so they can experience living here, make their own memories and be a part of Arlens.