Bougendoura Palace is a large farming estate in the Mitidja plain near L’Arba. It covers more than 800 hectares. Napoleon III built a château there during his visit to Algeria in 1835.
The palace in Larbaa dates back to the Ottoman period and follows the Andalusian style. In 1956–1957, the French Third Corps used the site as a military base and an interrogation center. Their operations covered over 700 km². Reports from that time mention executions, disappearances, and the actions of officers such as Antoine Argoud and Paul Aussaresses. Many testimonies connect the site to major operations in the region and to the deaths of key resistance members.
Today the building is deteriorating. Its condition shows the need for proper documentation, protection, and official restoration so it can be preserved as part of the region’s heritage.