Rising from its moat

Built in 1578 as evidenced by an inscription in one of the mantels, this gorgeous chateau was initially a small fortress with four towers, ramparts and a drawbridge.

In 1615, the property belonged to Maximilien de Béthune, Baron de Rosny, Duke of Sully, illustrious Minister to Henri IV of France.

At the time, Sully was governor of Poitou. His son-in-law, the Duke Henri de Rohan, sold the Cantaudière on July 13, 1620 to André Legeay, Provost General of Poitou, who was abolished by Henri IV in 1608 for having captured the famous bandit Guillery who was devastating the region.

The property was bought in 1855 by Charles-Joseph Duchaine, an ancestor of the current owner Laurence Guibert who just saw the home through four years of restoration. Listed as a historical monument in 1978, the castle is now flanked by three towers and surrounded by a moat.

Open – Journées du Patrimoine, 3rd weekend of September
Tip – Participate in the rando (hike) with meals and visit to the chateau, hopefully they will organise it again in 2019. Sadly this year's was cancelled due to lack of sign-ups.
Address – Château de la Cantaudière, 85540 Moutiers-les-Mauxfaits
GPS coordinates – 46° 29′ 22″ N, 1° 26′ 12″ W
Nearby sightseeing – the beautiful village of Mareuil-sur-Lay is worth visiting, and there are Vendée wineries nearby
Images by inthevendee.com

Flower in the Sky

This beautiful Renaissance home and chambre d'hotes bears the transformation of centuries. The original five-sided Medieval castle ruin has been cleverly turned into a very lovely courtyard garden with views across the rolling hills of the Vendée bocage. It is but one corner of a 30ha park where you can visit May through October.

Overlooking the 11th century castle ruin are both the 17th century castle as well as the restored 13th century keep (donjon) featuring a unique cantilevered staircase which was added in the XVth century.

The very first structure that stood here was probably a motte or wooden castle.

Being a 'lordship' or seigneurie, the family that lived here were protestants and heavily involved in the religious wars that devastated the Vendée. In the 16th century they became connected to the de Maillé-Brézé family (of our favorite Loire valley castle Château de Brézé) by marriage.

But perhaps the more intriguing story that lives within the castle walls is that of the Marquis de la Flocellière, Jacques de Maillé, who kidnapped the Scottish damsel Elisabeth Hamilton at the court of King Louis XIII. They were married in 1616 but had no children and eventually the lordship went back to the Surgères family that owned it in the 13th century. Largely destroyed in the Vendée wars toward the end of the 18th, the 'newer' castle was reconstructed in the 19th century only to fall in disrepair again later.

The current owners (Patrice and Erika Vignial) have lovingly renovated the castle over a 30 year-period, including a bed & breakfast and a wedding location. Luckily for us, they also created a spectacular park where you can take a stroll. Flocellière means 'flower in the sky'.

Open – the beautiful park is accessible May to October from 14h00 to 18h00, for a small fee. Private tours are also available.
NOTE  – reservations are necessary. Make them here and for an interior guided tour (incl. groups) please call 0251572203
Address – 30 Rue du Château, 85700 La Flocellière
GPS coordinates –  46° 50′ 06″ nord, 0° 51′ 42″ ouest enter your location
Nearby Sightseeing – Château and windmills in Pouzauges
Ideal for – gardeners, art lovers (sculpture), history, and photography lovers
Images – by inthevendee

France's popular president

This chateau has been in the family of historical figure Chevalier Pierre Godard des Breuze, Colonel of the Empire, who bought it in 1806. The castle itself is not open to the public, but the gardens are, and we highly recommend a visit in summer! Developed in the XVIIth - XVIIIth centuries, four grass terraces of 110 m long and edged by beautiful plane trees*, step down to a remarkable canal sourced from the river Longèves.

The canal, developed through a clever network of pipes placed on a geological fault line separating sandstone and shale sub-soil, is centered on the water mirror and fed by water resurgences from the bottom of the park. The castle is mirrored in the water. The Longèves canal is bordered by a pone stone, a lavoir, and a water mill, ending in a large circular pool that was used for horses.

The château, which is located on a promontory, began its life as a Gallo-Roman villa, and at the beginning of the Xth century was a fortified priory. In the XIVth century it was part of the Maillezais Abbey serving as the summer residence of the bishops of Maillezais and La Rochelle. During the age of the Renaissance, Monseigneur d'Estissac built the first castle here. His secretary Rabelais sent the plane trees from Rome. They are dubbed the Rabelais trees*.

This Renaissance castle was severely damaged during the wars of religion. Only the tower remains from that period, and a former defensive tower was turned into a beautiful pigeonnière (dovecote).  The castle was restored in the XVIIth century by the new bishop of La Rochelle, Monseigneur de Sully Béthune. The arcaded outbuildings, the barn, the terraces and the park date from this period.

The enormous barn by the hand of famous Renaissance architect and writer Philibert de l'Orme (or Delorme) retains its original 17th century framework and should not be missed in your Vendée sightseeing excursions.

In the XVIIIth century Monseigneur de Crussol d'Uzès built the 'Logis des Dames' in the Rochelle style while the park continued to be developped. During the Revolution, which had become a national asset, the bishops' residence was bought by a shipowner from La Rochelle, Daniel Garesché, who had the Renaissance castle demolished.

Influenced by his in-laws and his function being responsible for the jurisdiction of the direction of Vendée fortifications, Pierre Godard des Breuze, bought the castle in 1806 and died here. The property has remained in the same family ever since.

Open – see website for June to Sept schedule but you can always see the canal with lavoir, watermill and horse pond from the street
Tickets – €5 adults (children <12 free)
Address – rue du Château,
85570  L' HERMENAULT
GPS coordinates –  46.518697, -0.898290; enter your location
Nearby – Fontenay-le-Comte, Vouvant and the Mervent forest
Images – by inthevendee