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History of the Castle
Jewel of France's Architectural Heritage |
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The grounds, which have survived more-or-less intact, are now undergoing a restoration program for the pleasure and edification of all: the primary objective is a faithful recreation of the park and gardens as they were in the middle of the eighteenth century, based on detailed plans dating from the period.
On entering the main gates of the Château, you see to your right, the original Keep, dating from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and in front of you, the seventeenth-century Château. The town of Saint-Loup, because of its strategic position at the confluence of the Cébron and Thouet rivers, and at the frontier between the plains of Poitou and the rolling farmland of the Gâtine, was surrounded very early on by a chain of military defenses, including the Château as its northern link. The first documented evidence, dating from the eleventh century, names Drogon as the first Lord of Saint-Loup. The Medieval Period The medieval period was dominated by the de Dercé family, originally from the Loudun area, one of whose members was responsible for the construction of a fortress. The Keep is all that remains of this, comprising the fourteenth-century square tower on the right and the adjoining fifteenth-century buildings on the left, which were remodeled in the nineteenth century in the troubadour style.
The Black Prince imprisoned the French king, Jean le Bon, in the Keep
after the battle of Poitiers in 1356.
The Keep has been renovated to provide chamber d'hôte (bed and breakfast) accommodations in medieval style, many rooms complete with four-poster beds. See Rooms in the Castle and Keep for details. The Renaissance During the Renaissance (1518), it was Artus Gouffier, the king's chamberlain, who became owner of the property. His family also owned the Château of Oiron, 19 kilometers away. It was Claude Gouffier and his son Louis who, between 1609 and 1626, built the Château that you see today.
The fabulously wealthy Gouffiers were also Marquis of Caravaz in Italy, the family that inspired Charles Perrault to write Puss-in-Boots: indeed, the domains of the Marquis de Carabas were just as extensive in reality as they were in the story, stretching 60 kilometers from Loudun to Bressuire! The French Revolution Until the time of the Revolution, the lords of Saint-Loup were wealthy
and lived a lifestyle that preserved the allure and importance of the
Château through the centuries. Among them were Nicholas Lepage
(1645), a king's counselor and treasurer extraordinaire, and, at the
start of the eighteenth century (1708), Jacques Boyer de la Boissière,
General Receiver of Finance for Brittany.
In 1767, the Château was sold to Jean Haran de Borda, farmer general, who bequeathed it to his nephew Jean d'Abadie in 1772. The d'Abadie family retained the Château until 1894, at which time they sold it and divided up the furniture and contents. The Maussabré family then owned it until the death of the last Maussabré, the Countess Gilberte de Maussabré, in 1983. She left the Château to the League Against Cancer, which then sold a part of the property to the entertainers Chantal Goya and Jean-Jacques Debout. They, in turn, sold it in 1990 to Count Charles-Henri de Bartillat, who now lives in the Château. Visiting the Château
As you wander round the enceinte to the other side of the Château, you reach the basculating bridge, from which there is a panoramic view over the whole of the parks and gardens, nowadays extending to 50 hectares (110 acres). The surface of the bridge has its original cobbled red sandstone. The rectangular expanse of greenery extending out from the back of the Château, once surrounded by a stone wall, was the site of a vast potager (2.5 hectares), with ambulatories down both sides, the left-hand one of which was originally planted with hornbeams and the right-hand one with chestnuts. Beyond this was the bowling green, where the game of boules was played (a sort of French croquet, bearing little relation to the modern-day game of pétanque,). Finally, between this and the Thouet river was planted a quincunx of trimmed elms in a horseshoe facing the Château. To the left, you can see the arboretum along the banks of the Thouet, and the slopes beyond, whose fields were originally planted alternately to vines and walnut trees.
Spread over an area of 15 hectares, this is criss-crossed by a network of paths, to which access is gained through a succession of gates and fences. As you cross the Ménagerie Bridge, you will see in the distance, to your left, the Canal Pavilion. Straight ahead of you is the entrance gate to the Orangery Court; and, to its left, running parallel to the canal, is the Ménagerie building with its courtyard and imposing dovecot behind. The restoration works undertaken from 1992 to 1994 encompassed the Orangery Court, the Flower Garden and the Canal Pavilion. The restoration of the bridges and the Corner Pavilion of the Forest Park, plus the renovation of the waterways are part of the future program. The Ménagerie is currently under renovation to provide twenty rooms for overnight accommodations; the remainder will be for use during festivals and events. The Orangery Court, as conceived in the eighteenth century, is a place for the seasonal display of citrus plants, in particular orange trees, and of other plants susceptible to frost, particularly those with Mediterranean origins.
From the Orangery Court, one will very soon be able to view an avenue of palm trees stretching up towards the Forest Park. This palm-grove (of chamerops excelsa and humilis) was not listed in the original inventory. But close to it there must once have been a greenhouse which allowed the gardens to be visited throughout the year. In the Flower Garden flowers were cultivated that were cut to make the floral arrangements for the Château itself, in the tradition of English "picking gardens." An unusual feature is that the garden is laid out in such a way as to mask the removal of cut flowers from those who gaze down the central path: the middle beds are formal and unchanging; the flowers for cutting are in the side beds.
In neither of these gardens has it yet been possible to recreate the espaliers as they are indicated in the eighteenth-century inventory, nor the plants which alternated with them. Still absent too are the fountains and the statuary: something to look forward to in the years to come! Leaving the Orangery Court, you can enjoy a refreshing stroll along the banks of the canal, lined on one side with maples, on the other with chestnuts. Both lead to the Canal Pavilion, an eighteenth-century place of repose beneath which a waterfall tumbles.
The canal is a typically seventeenth-century construction and is one of the earliest examples of the use of a canal within a formal garden. It is an essential hydrographic element in drainage and flood control. To the right, beyond the Ménagerie, you can discern the wall of the original orchard which extended as far as the Forest Park. It contained an ice house, where fruits could be stored during the hot summer months. The pavilion was built in 1631: the carpenter's bill is still contained within the archives. From a square base, it rises to a domed roof in the "imperial" style. The interior was remodeled in the eighteenth century, and it is this decoration that has been retained in the restoration undertaken during recent years, because the original seventeenth-century layout is less clear. Inside there are benches which serve as lids to cover the sluice gates of the canal, the cupboards are hidden in the paneling, and the ceiling is decorated with clouds. The only items missing from the inventory are the cushions covered in Indian cotton.
Among our souvenirs on sale at Le Château de Saint-Loup:
Please contact us for further information about:
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The Château of Saint-Loup is a jewel of France's architectural
heritage and an important site in the history of Poitou. Possessor since the
Middle Ages of an elaborate ornamental potager, it was enhanced in the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries through the creation of wooded parkland and sumptuous
gardens, which had fallen into decay over recent years.
The restoration of the gardens of the Château de Saint-Loup was
designated a "European Pilot Project" by the European Union in 1993.
Note the ring of machicolations
that crowns the square tower, and the high wooden cross pieces which supported
the hoardings. The entrance to the tower was protected by a portcullis.
With its plan in the shape of a letter "H," in honor of the king, Henri IV,
the two wings are characterized by their distinctive features and independent
roofs, while the central pavilion is crowned by a bell tower. These elements
are typical of the style of architecture prevailing at the start of the
eighteenth century, known as "Louis XIII." 
His son, Jean-Baptiste, further enhanced the property.
Visits of the Château's reception rooms are possible for groups
by reservation. The rooms may also be rented for receptions, weddings,
cocktail parties, seminars and special occasions. See 
Turning right and heading towards the Ménagerie Bridge, you see
in the distance, the wooded mass of the Forest Park.
The placement of the pots in the Orangery Court is based on classical
principles: with one citrus plant followed by a fragrant or decorative one,
around the four squares bordered by box hedges. The flower beds are planted
with flowers selected for their fragrance. Over the years, each potted plant
is trimmed to its own distinctive shape: sphere, cone, Chinese hat, etc.
The benches were created specifically for this garden, based on a painting by
Fragonard.
The pavilion played an important role in allowing access between the
two major components of the garden: the orangery and the potager. It was
one of the three major follies within the park, and the only one which
has so far been restored. The two others are the Corner Pavilion in the
Forest Park and the well situated between the Orangery Court and the Flower
Garden.
Château de Saint-Loup
