Château de l'Oiselinière, Gorges, France

The Oiselinière estate was, before the French Revolution a 'Seigniory'. It is mentioned as early as 1335 in the charter 'Les Actes'. It spreads over the districts of Gorges and Clisson, and under the feudal system depended on the Seigneurs of Clisson and Pallet. For 643 years, this Seigniory only changed families four times: Maurice le Meigen was the owner, then in 1460 one of this descendants through allegiance, Claude Grézeau took over. His family sold the seigniory of the Oiselinière to Jean Goulet de la Fosse de Nantes in 1613. Louis de la Bourdonnaye acquired the property in 1658. Then in 1767, the seigniory was sold to the ancestors of the Aulanier family (This family made a great contribution in the Second World War, Oselinière being a hotbed of resistance).

The castle is a villa built in Italian style between 1822 and 1835 to enclose a square courtyard dated from the 17th century. The villa, the outbuildings, the orangery and the gallery of 'Les Illustres' are included in the inventory of historical monuments since 1997 and are cited as reference in the inventory 'Clisson or return to Italy.'

To the west of the villa, near the orangery stands a set of architectural interest with six niches on its main facade which are made of circular brick and adorned with busts of famous men. From left to right, we can recognize Olivier de Clisson, Conde, Duquesne, Jean Bart, and Bayard Duguesclin.

User Reviews

Fab Mon (3 years ago)
À voir ...!! La propriété de l’Oiselinière était avant la Révolution française une seigneurie. Elle est signalée dans « les Actes » du chartrier déjà depuis 1335 et elle s’étendait sur les communes de Gorges et de Clisson, et relevait féodalement des seigneurs de Clisson et du Pallet. Durant 643 ans, cette seigneurie ne change que quatre fois de propriétaires : c’est Maurice le Meignen qui en est le premier propriétaire connu, puis en 1460, l’un de ses descendants par alliance, Claude Grézeau. Sa famille vend la seigneurie de l’Oiselinière à Jean Goulet de la Fosse de Nantes en 1613. Vient ensuite par acquisition Louis de la Bourdonnaye en 1658. Puis en 1767, vente de la seigneurie aux ancêtres de la famille Aulanier. En 2006, Georges Verdier et sa famille se portent acquéreurs et deviennent propriétaires du Château de l’Oiselinière ... ☺

yoneh mizrahi (4 years ago)
BEWARE OF THIS PLACE! The treatment and hospitality received over here has been absolutely horrific

Ian Watts (4 years ago)
We had a good welcome and was shown to our lovely room. It was very large, as you would expect from a chateau. After driving a long way we wanted to relax and sat in the little suntrap for guests with wicker chairs. It was lovely. They make their own wine which was on sale in the lounge fridge. We had a bottle and chilled. Breakfast was served in the orangery with lovely cutlery and porcelain crockery. Homemade yoghurt and butter. Croissants, cheese and ham and of course orange and coffee. Bought some of their delicious wine and said goodbye. Very nice and would recommend.

Felix Haupt (4 years ago)
Nice location, but worst hospitality and service experience! Check-in not available at announced hours (before, owner was on site, but did not open the door). When we finally found somebody at the estate in the evening, we were not granted access because of our little dog, although the booking website clearly states that pets are allowed and we notified them months before. We were at the site three times that day and needed to find ad hoc a new place to sleep. We were travelling with our 1 year old doughter... Would not recommend this place at all!

Anne-Sophie Kergaravat (5 years ago)
Comfortable, quiet, really nice historic castle - hotel ! Really nice owner and great breakfast!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Giåm

Historic Site of the week

Glimmingehus

Glimmingehus, is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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