Château de Challain-la-Potherie

Challain-la-Potherie, France

The earliest recorded castle of Château de Challain-la-Potherie dates all the way back to the medieval age in 1050. The original castle was probably part of the ‘Les Marches de Bretagne’ a series of fortresses that acted as a defensive line that protected the people of the ancient region of France known as Brittany. That chateau, and many others that followed it were destroyed in the wars, and conflicts that wracked the area in the centuries that followed.

The current Château de Challain-la-Potherie  was built from 1847 to 1854 in the neo-Gothic style, which was fashionable among the French aristocracy at the time. Its architect, René Hodé, designed many other châteaux in the same style in Anjou, but Challain remains the most imposing.

The 19th-century castle was commissioned by Louise-Ida de La Potherie, the last of her name, and her husband, the Count of La Rochefoucauld-Bayers. The choice of the neo-Gothic style was a means for them to restore the family's glory after the French Revolution. It was also a choice motivated by the tastes of the time, as neo-Gothic was in vogue among the Angevin aristocracy. René Hodé specifically adopted the troubadour style, which applied a neo-medieval decoration to a functional structure. The internal structure of the castle and its general layout followed the neoclassical architectural rules developed in the 18th century.

Despite its grandeur and significant place in the history of Angevin architecture, it suffered some degradation after the death of its patrons. It had numerous successive owners during the 20th century and served as a vacation colony center for about twenty years. Finally, in 2002, it was transformed into a luxury guesthouse.

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Details

Founded: 1847-1854
Category: Castles and fortifications in France

More Information

chateauchallain.com

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Katja Kirtavit (16 months ago)
Best wedding location ever. Truly a fairytale! Such a beautiful castle and all the guests were so pleased with the event.
Kevin Seegaren Vydelingum (16 months ago)
Amazing wedding venue. Enjoyed the weekend wedding. We were well looked after. Food was excellent. The grounds are beautiful. The room was very royalty.?
Yuleydy Delgado (19 months ago)
We booked this place for our daughter to take her quinceañera pictures. It was a fairy tale experience that she will never forget. Everything here is perfect and very well kept. Our host was very nice and respectful and the dinning experience was the best. I recommend this place 100 % because it’s very unique and special. The gardens and the views are stunning. We rented a car from Paris to the castle and the drive was super smooth since the roads are well maintained and they have clear signs. We had the opportunity to visit at the beginning of spring and saw some tulips blooming. Everything is pretty like out of the fairy tale book. I thank the Lord and the owner for giving us the opportunity to stay and enjoy the entire property during our short stay.
Lady Rose (19 months ago)
Château Challain is stunning beyond belief. Photos and videos can not prepare you for the grandeur that greets you as you approach through the quaint rural surroundings. The building and grounds are filled with beauty and character plucked right out of a classic fairytale and you can't help but explore the whole place in absolute awe of it's history and the craftsmanship that has gone in to building it. We performed at a wedding at the Château last weekend and it was perfect from start to finish. Cynthia and her team go above and beyond for every single guest, ensuring their stay is comfortable and luxurious. The vendours attending were world class and the couple couldn't have been happier with how their wedding went. Also worth noting that the local village has a small shop and a restaurant/bar within a minute walk away, so as much as it's quite a remote location, there are still amenities nearby should you need them. I can't recommend the Château highly enough. If you want to organise a high class event or just fancy a french getaway in a stunning castle, get in touch with them ASAP! It'll be an experience you won't ever forget.
Claire Clough (19 months ago)
In 2020 Chateau Challain very generously launched a gifted wedding open to key workers throughout COVID. They were inundated with applicants and nominations and the winner was ultimately decided by a social media vote. My husband and I were the insanely lucky couple who won this incredible experience. Last weekend our wedding took place (delayed from 2021 due to the repeat lockdown) and it's difficult to put into words how incredible it was. Cynthia the owner co-ordinated the whole event for us meaning we could make key decisions but rest assured everything was being handled in the lead up to our day. The chateau itself is truly stunning, no photo can do its scale or beauty justice, when we arrived we were all astounded. Guests were all claiming to have the best room but the truth is that each and every room has its own charm and distinct style which has been created with such thought and care. Throughout our stay the staff couldn't do enough for us and nothing was too much bother. On the morning of the wedding we had Claire bringing food and drink to the room where the bridesmaids and I were getting ready and she was so kind, warm and caring it really helped us all stay calm and get excited. The gazebo where we got married was decorated beautifully and then we were taken around the grounds and neighbouring area for our photos and WOW. Cynthia has thoughtfully made so many areas of beauty in the grounds to appreciate and enjoy which double as superb photo opportunities. The food across our stay was also sublime and dietary requirements were all accepted and adjusted for. We feel so lucky, our guests keep telling us it felt like a fairytale and that's the best way we can think to describe it. Thank you barely seems enough but we are so grateful and honoured to have received such a beautiful gift. We couldn't recommend the chateau any more and we will be sure to return in the future!
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