La Verrerie Castle (Oizon)
The La Verrerie castle is located in the commune of Oizon in the French department of Cher , near Aubigny-sur-Nère . The building has been classified as a Monument historique since January 27, 1987 . The name "La Verrerie" (glass) only appears in the 16th century and indicates the existence of a small glass factory at that time, which is documented until the beginning of the 19th century.
history
In 1422 Charles VII left the county of Aubigny to the Scotsman John Stewart, Lord Darnley. In this way, the King thanked for the support provided by the Auld Alliance between France and Scotland during the Hundred Years War . John Stuart's son Béraud had the castle built at the end of the 15th century .
The descendants of John von Darnley lived in the castle until 1670, at which time Charles II of England , a direct descendant of John Stuart, became heir to the Seigneurie . But Louis XIV did not recognize this line of succession and placed Aubigny under the crown. However, in 1673 he agreed to leave Aubigny, which had been raised to a duchy, to one of the mistresses of Charles II of England, Louise de Kérouaille , Duchess of Portsmouth.
After the death of King Charles, Louise de Kérouaille lived in La Verrerie until her death. In 1734 the Duchy of Aubigny passed to her and Charles II's son, Charles Lennox, Duke of Lennox and Richmond. His descendants owned the castle until the beginning of the 19th century.
In 1842, Count Léonce de Vogüé bought the property for his large family, who still live in the castle today. In 1965, Count Antoine de Vogüé opened the castle to visitors. His wife opened a hotel in the castle in 1982 and set up a restaurant in the “maison d'hélène” cottage in the castle grounds. The couple's son is the current owner of the twelve-room hotel and the adjoining restaurant.
Castle complex
La Verrerie Castle is located in the midst of extensive oak forests, directly on the Verrerie Lake. The palace complex consists of Renaissance buildings that form a rectangular courtyard that is closed off from the lake by a terrace . The actual residential building was designed as a pavilion , with a gallery on the courtyard side and several corner towers. Right next to the gatehouse is a Gothic chapel with remarkable frescoes .
literature
- Jean-Pierre Babelon: Châteaux de France au siècle de la Renaissance . Flammarion, Paris 1989, ISBN 2-08-012062-X , pp. 130-132 .
- Josyane and Alain Cassaigne: 365 Chateaux de France . Aubanel, Geneva 2007, ISBN 978-2-7006-0517-4 , p. 62.
Web links
- Castle website (French, English)
- Detailed information about the castle (French)
- Dossier on the castle in Base Mérimée
- Photos from Base Mémoire
La Verrerie Castle as a 3D model in SketchUp's 3D warehouse
Individual evidence
- ↑ La Verrerie Castle in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French), accessed on September 21, 2009.
Coordinates: 47 ° 25 ′ 22.6 ″ N , 2 ° 31 ′ 19 ″ E