Randan (Puy-de-Dôme). A century earlier, a fire destroyed a large part of the royal domain of Randan, then left in ruins for decades. One hundred years later, the site is taking a new step in its rehabilitation, thanks to an investment of 10 million euros recently made by the Region. Since it bought the estate in 2003, the community has undertaken various safeguarding operations which have continued over around twenty years: consolidation work, security work, waterproofing of the castle, installation of roofing, etc.
The new campaign, more ambitious and scheduled over a period of five to seven years, this time focuses on the restoration of very specific parts of the estate. First of all, that of the imposing Orangery and its greenhouses, copied from those of the King’s vegetable garden at Versailles, which once made the reputation of the estate. Another originality of Randan, the roof terrace which topped the kitchens will be reopened with the creation of a panoramic walkway, while the old vegetable garden – located in the 100 hectare park – will be transformed into an educational space. It is also planned to better showcase the castle’s unusual taxidermy collection, which brings together 460 stuffed animals that belonged to Ferdinand d’Orléans (1884-1924), Duke of Montpensier.
The last royal estate built in France, built in 1821 by Louis-Philippe d’Orléans and his sister Adélaïde, Randan still retains nearly 4,000 period pieces of furniture and objects, which were saved from the fire. Behind this rehabilitation project, the Region clearly displays its long-term ambition: to revalorize the estate and its collections to strengthen territorial attractiveness. In short, making the little-known site – although part of the historic route of the Auvergne castles – one of the great cultural and tourist centers of the Region.
