PHOTOS – The Engarran castle chosen to shoot scenes from the film “The Count of Monte Cristo”

A Hérault castle is currently on the big screen! The Engarran castle, in Lavérune (Hérault), was chosen as a filming location for some scenes from the film “The Count of Monte Cristo“ by Alexandre de La Patellière and starring Pierre Niney. It was released in theaters this Wednesday, June 26, 2024 and could well be one of the most-watched French films of the year at the cinema with the film by Montpellier’s Artus “Un p’tit truc en plus”.

France Bleu Hérault takes you visiting the castle of Engarran. At the very end of the alley, amidst cicadas, a magnificent castle appears, like in fairy tales. Mathieu Billod, sales manager and one of the castle’s caretakers, is proud to tell us that the film “The Count of Monte Cristo” was filmed here, in October 2023. “One day, we were consulted for the Count of Monte Cristo project, and we were chosen. There is this whole alley that was used, inside the castle, there were also outdoor scenes. In the trailer, we see the heroine running through the castle. It’s nice to know that we were chosen! For a week, it brought the place to life. It seems that it is well highlighted in the film, so it’s always nice.”

Mathieu was able to see Pierre Nineywho plays the lead role in the film. “I actually saw a scene filmed with Anais Demoustier and Pierre Niney, but I didn’t remember the names of all the other actors, there were a lot of them!”

The castle open to visits this summer

In all, 200 people took part in the filming of the movie. Mathieu hopes that many visitors will come this summer to immerse themselves in the history of Alexandre Dumas. Last year, 6,000 people visited Engarran Castle, he hopes the popularity of the film will attract people: “We’re counting on it, clearly! It’s a real opportunity. There are other filming locations that have greatly benefited from film shoots. The castle has its own history, and we can draw parallels with that of The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s bound to attract a bit of curiosity. If we can already gain 200 or 300 visitors, that’s always interesting. We’ll see, the film is announced as a success, but it’s difficult to know how it will be received. From experience, we know that in some places, visits have doubled. We really hope so, and it will do some good in this difficult period.”

The castle has belonged to the Bertrand-Grill family since 1924. It is open for visits all summer, twice a day, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. by reservation, in groups of 10 people. Entrance costs 10 euros.