The best of Castres

An André Le Nôtre garden, a top-notch museum, and more

As I wrote in my last post, Castres has been my favorite “France in Between” destination so far.

Overshadowed by its drop-dead gorgeous, UNESCO-crowned, prefectoral neighbor Albi, the city often gets short shrift, reduced to its talented and suitably burly rugby squad. 

I don’t care for rugby, and I really don’t care for Francisco de Goya. (Goya? Read on.)

My Castres (il)logic went like this:

1.      Castres is home to the Musée Goya

2.      Goya is gloomy and terrifying

3.      So, let’s just not be rushing off to Castres anytime soon

I was, of course, mistaken.

Here’s why:

1.      Le Musée Goya ET d’Art Hispanique

Le Musée Goya is a misnomer: the museum displays only three paintings by the Spanish master, but houses the second-largest collection of Spanish art in France, after the Louvre.

I thought so. This is why you need to go to Castres.

Impeccably renovated and reopened to the public in 2023, the 22-gallery museum takes the visitor on an atmospheric visual journey through Spanish art from the Middle Ages to the 21^st century.

Goya’s largest painting, The Junta of the Philippines, and a collection of his engravings, form the centerpiece – but take away Goya and you would still have one highly impressive museum.

A few personal highlights:

The museum presents some striking contemporary works, such as the installation “Asneria” (2010) by Pilar Abaraccin.

You can find a Picasso, if that is a priority for you.

It was nice to see the artist deforming a male figure for once.

Yet it was the extremely well-documented journey through earlier eras of Spanish art that drew me in the most.

Having expected an overload of tenebrism, I was struck by the luminous colors and intricate background detail of much of the religious art.

La Déploration de Christ, Vicente Macip and Joan de Joanes, 16th century

And I had never delved into the Spanish iconography of martyrdom, complete with severed heads and disemboweled babies. However, I’ll spare you my photos.

I learned about the specifically Spanish art form of bodegon, related to the term bodega. These still life paintings, less luxurious than their Flemish counterparts, depict everyday victuals, such as cabbage, herring, or even raw meat.

Still Life with Lamb Chops, Anonymous, 17th century

The gorgeous galleries add to the richness of the visit, and except for one irreverently loud group of Spanish tourists that flew through, I had the place to myself.

I invite you to hop over to the museum’s website to get a better overall effect from a professional photographer, which I am clearly not.

2.      Le Jardin de l’Evêché designed by André Le Nôtre

The museum, as well as city hall, is housed in the former bishop’s palace. The diocese must have enjoyed some clout, as it was able to score a garden designed by André Le Nôtre, of Versailles fame.

It’s fairly unusual to find such a manicured garden here in the south, although I later learned that ten Le Nôtre gardens are scattered about Le Grand Sud.

The garden is proportional to the palace — don’t start thinking it’s all a “Petit Versailles” — but strolling around it offers a chance to experience Le Nôtre's work on an intimate scale.

View of Le Jardin de l’Evêché from the Musée Goya et de L’Art Hispanique

3.      La Cathédrale Saint-Benoît

The museum and the garden are across from the rather simple yet attractive Cathédrale Saint-Benoît, which had just closed for a major makeover that will take 6 years, divided into 4 18-month phases.

Technically, this “cathedral” is now a mere church and as such, is owned by the city rather than the nation.

When Castres dives into revamping itself, they go all out, so I’m sure they’ll do a smashing job with Saint Benoît — I’m putting 2030 on my calendar.

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