Château de Bouges

Bouges-le-Château, France

The Château de Bouges is a manor was built in 1765, probably by Ange-Jacques Gabriel. It was built on lands acquired by Charles-François Leblanc de Manarval, the master of the royal forges and the director of the royal manufacturer of cloth in Châteauroux. 

The château was modeled after the Petit Trianon at the Palace of Versailles. In 1818, the château became the property of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, the former foreign minister of Napoleon Bonaparte. Talleyrand put it at the disposition of his niece and, according to rumors, his one-time mistress,Dorothée de Courlande (1793-1862). She was also owner from 1828 à 1847 of the Château de Rochecotte at Saint-Patrice.Then chateau was purchased by Tunisian general Mahmoud Benaiad.

In 1917, the château was purchased by Henry Viguier and his wife, Renée Normant, who restored it, decorated and refurbished it. Viguier was the président-directeur-général of the Paris department store Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville. In addition to the château, he owned a Paris town house on the avenue Foch, a manor house in Houlgate and a villa in Grasse. The Viguiers, who had no children, left the house and its furniture to the French state in 1968.

The château has a park of eighty hectares, which include a landscape garden, an arboretum, a floral garden created in 1920, large greenhouses, and a formal French garden. It also includes large stables which were later used as garages by the last owners. The manor is classified as a monument historique and the gardens are listed by the Ministry of Culture as among the Notable Gardens of France. The château and gardens are open to the public.

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Details

Founded: 1765
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in France

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

DONDU (3 years ago)
Very pretty castle in the neoclassical style which dates from the end of the 18th century. It consists of 17 rooms, a garden, a landscaped park and a stable. Very pleasant guided tour. Too bad it's still under construction. We were able to visit only 5 rooms. The work should end in the summer of 2022. Looking forward to returning there to visit the rooms located upstairs.
Catherine B (4 years ago)
A "beautiful mansion". The castle is not closed during the works. I found the staircase with its magnificent skylight. We were well received especially do not hesitate to chat with the host in the friendly and interesting house. The park is a peaceful place with its more than hundred-year-old trees. Flower garden. I'll be back..
Mickey The Beagle (5 years ago)
Incredible chateau, nice guide, huge grounds and great souvenir, it definitely deserves 5 stars
Patricia Faure (6 years ago)
Un lieu enchanteur, comme hors du temps. L'impression était renforcée avec les sublimes décorations de Noël. Il ne manquait que la neige pour ajouter à la féerie et à la magie. Ce château est beau en toute saison et je n'ai jamais vu des bouquets de fleurs aussi époustouflants, quelle que soit la période. J'y reviens toujours avec plaisir.
Adam Lewis (6 years ago)
Le marché de Noël est magnifique, le prix est très raisonnable (3e et gratuit pour les.-12 ans) les écuries reçoivent beaucoup d'entreprises local mais le plus gros travail est celui de la décoration, même à l'intérieur du château, la visite est compris dans le prix annoncé ! Bravo encore une fois pour cette réussite !
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