The Chartreuse de Bel Sito, located at the corner of rue Beaufeu and chemin des Plateaux, occupies a 15-hectare property overlooking the Garonne and the city of Bordeaux.
In the 18th century, Nathaniel Johnston had a magnificent residence built, featuring a facade 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 fruit produced there was renowned for its superior quality compared to that imported by ships in the port of Bordeaux.
In 1918, part of the estate was ceded to Ciments Français for the exploitation of the 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.
Today, the estate lies in ruins, almost entirely overgrown with vegetation and brambles. Only a few centuries-old trees bear witness to its glorious past. Despite several redevelopment projects considered over the past twenty years, none have yet come to fruition.
