Boschendal
Boschendal is a winery in South Africa . It is located in the Western Cape Province about 55 kilometers east of Cape Town between the wine towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek and was founded in 1685 as one of the first estates in the Franschhoek Valley.
In 1715 the property was bought by Abraham de Villiers. The de Villiers family was part of the 250 Huguenot refugees who settled on the Cape at the end of the 17th century. The de Villiers family originally came from Champagne . They were recruited by the Dutch East India Company for their experience in viticulture and arrived at the Cape in May 1689. Abraham's brother Jacques bought the property in 1717, which received its H-shaped mansion in 1812 , an outstanding example of Cape Dutch architecture . The estate remained in the ownership of the de Villiers family until 1879.
Eight years later, the mining magnate and later Prime Minister of the Cape region Cecil Rhodes bought Boschendal. After Rhodes' death in 1902, the De Beers Mining Company ran the property for 40 years before it was sold to Sir Abe Bailey and then to a syndicate. When an Anglo-American company took over the property in 1969, it was decided to revive viticulture by importing high-quality vines. The old Boschendal complex was restored by the architect Gawie Fagan and his wife Gwen Fagan laid out a rose garden according to old plans.
Today Boschendal is an important wine producer and with its historical buildings (part of which is maintained as a museum) and gardens as well as the restaurant a tourist attraction.
See also
Web links
- Website of the goods (English)
Coordinates: 33 ° 52 ′ 27 ″ S , 18 ° 58 ′ 33 ″ E