Château des Grotteaux

In the park, on the right bank of the Cosson, the presence of the Grotteaux menhir attests to a very ancient human presence. The present castle was built in 1620 by Guillaume Ribier on older foundations, as the beautiful vaulted cellars attest. King Louis XIII was particularly fond of this high magistrate from Blais, a member of the Third Estate. On three occasions he was offered a ministerial post, notably during a visit to the Grotteaux by Cardinal Richelieu on his return from the siege of La Rochelle in 1628. The castle has been listed as a historical monument since 1954 and its park since 1997. The “smallest of the great castles” was entirely decorated by the Blais painter Jean Mosnier, who later worked in Valençay, Cheverny, Blois, etc.

During the Directoire, Charles-Joseph Bagieu, the manager of food supplies for the great army, a friend of Napoleon Bonaparte and a botany enthusiast, built the orangery. The emperor sent him seeds and plants brought back by a botanical mission from Louisiana and asked him to acclimatise them in the park of the Château des Grotteaux. This is how the most beautiful autumn trees can be admired along the river: the bald cypress (Taxodium).

Spoken languages ​​:French, English
Languages ​​documentation:French, English
Visiting languages:French, English
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