The Chartreuse of Bel Sito, located at the corner of Beaufeu Street and Plateaux Road, occupies a 15-hectare property overlooking the Garonne River and the city of Bordeaux.
In the 18th century, Nathaniel Johnston had a magnificent residence built, featuring a façade adorned with a columned peristyle, inspired by the French taste of the time for Italian villas.
After 1846, the estate was acquired by Pierre-François Guestier, who notably installed a heated greenhouse to cultivate pineapples. The fruits produced on site were renowned for their superior quality compared to those imported by ships into the port of Bordeaux.
In 1918, part of the estate was sold to Ciments Français for the exploitation of limestone quarries located on the hillside, while the rest was granted to the Brotherhood of the Brothers of Bétharram for the establishment of a seminary.
Nowadays, the estate is in ruins, almost entirely overgrown with vegetation and brambles. Only a few century-old trees bear witness to its glorious past. Despite several redevelopment projects considered over the past twenty years, none have come to fruition to date.
