ABBADIA-LE CHÂTEAU-OBSERVATORY

Classified by the Monuments Historiques in 1984, the château has been the property of the Académie des Sciences since 1901. In fact, Antoine d'Abbadie, himself a member of the Académie, bequeathed his château in return for a special clause: the Académie des Sciences had to undertake to continue the astronomical work he had begun. Until 1975, the observatories continued to survey the corniche's night skies, then the instruments were abandoned in a cellar until 2000, when the Académie asked for an inventory of the astronomical heritage. 80 objects emerged. Today, this old and exceptional instrumentation makes Abbadia the^1st and only decimal observatory in France. A tour of the building will speak for itself, from the vestibule with its monumental staircase and astonishing stained-glass window, to the chambre d'honneur with its heavy baldachin, the reception rooms and the chapel with its exceptional roof structure. Everywhere a quotation calls out: Antoine d'Abbadie's motto "More being than appearing", "Don't throw a stone into the well from which you drink the water" and so on. Château Abbadia lifts the veil on Antoine d'Abbadie's genius with the Pavillon Accueil.

Restoration of the park: the park's redevelopment work is completed, with Eugène Bülher's (the landscape architect who designed the park) interpretation of historical elements. The redevelopment was carried out with preservation and enhancement in mind, to encourage contemplation and understanding of the various landscape scenes. The park has been restored to its former glory. The landscape composition and exotic plantings evoke Antoine d'Abbadie's many travels. An English-style landscaped park incorporating natural elements (mountains, ocean, trees...). An invitation to discover interpretation points, the history of the site, the owner's scientific experiments, the species planted and the Arragorry house where Virginie played the piano...

A true biological reserve, bicycles, dogs, picnics and sampling are prohibited.

To markthe ^30th anniversary of its opening to the public, Château-Observatoire Abbadia invites you to celebrate this exceptional event. A planetarium will be set up on site on October 22 and 26, 2025, with 2 discovery sessions of 1 hour each (2.30pm and 4pm). Price: €7.

From 01/04 to 30/06: exhibition of Gien earthenware tableware by Antoine and Virginie Abbadie