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The Château de Clermont is a 17th-century château located in the commune of Le Cellier, approximately 27 kilometres (17 mi) from
Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
, in western
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. It was constructed between 1643 and 1649. The château was previously owned by the
Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, celebrated as a master of the short story, as well as a representative of the Naturalism (literature), naturalist School of thought, sc ...
family before later becoming the residence of French actor
Louis de Funès Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fi ...
.


Appearance and architecture

The appearance of the château has remained largely unchanged since its construction during the regency of
Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (; ; born Ana María Mauricia; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was Queen of France from 1615 to 1643 by marriage to King Louis XIII. She was also Queen of Navarre until the kingdom's annexation into the French crown ...
in the minority of
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
. Its southern façade, which overlooks the
Loire The Loire ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône. It rises in the so ...
River, offers a panoramic view of the and the
Pays de Retz The Pays de Retz (; ; ) is a historical subregion of France that currently forms part of the Loire-Atlantique department, but once formed part of the Duchy of Brittany. The area lies between the southern shore of the Loire estuary and the '' Mara ...
. The northern side features a shaded avenue perpendicular to the Paris–Nantes road, framed by the château's original wings. The estate is surrounded by 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of parkland and a 17-hectare (42-acre)
vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
. Actor
Louis de Funès Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fi ...
had a
rose garden A rose garden or rosarium is a garden or park, often open to the public, used to present and grow various types of garden roses, and sometimes rose species. Designs vary tremendously and roses may be displayed alongside other plants or grouped ...
planted on the grounds, though it no longer exists. The Château de Clermont exhibits three major characteristics of the
Louis XIII style The Louis XIII style or ''Louis Treize'' was a fashion in French art and French architecture, architecture, especially affecting the visual arts, visual and decorative arts. Its distinctness as a period in the history of French art has much to do ...
: * The use of pink brick and stone masonry, which softens the formal geometry of the structure; * Distinctive slate roofs, varied in form and unique to several of the main buildings; * A central section housing the main staircase, which dominates the overall composition of the château. A grand avenue crosses two moats and leads visitors into the central courtyard, flanked by the château's symmetrical wings.


Wings

The two wings of the château originally housed the servants' quarters, including sleeping rooms, stables, and greenhouses, all strategically positioned to remain under the supervision of the master of the house. Where the wings connect to the main body of the building, the kitchens are located on the right and the chapel on the left, the latter still featuring its original
retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum, it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate struct ...
above the
altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...
. From the center of each wing, arched passages lead outward—on the right to the gardens and on the left to the farmyard. These two entrances provide both practical access and visual relief, breaking the otherwise rigid symmetry of the formal layout. A gallery runs along the first floor of the right-hand wing. The wings of the Château de Clermont differ significantly from those of other châteaux built during the same period in the 17th century. Until around 1624, château wings were typically constructed to match the height of the central structure, enclosing the courtyard on three sides in a style that echoed the defensive layout of medieval castles. The Château du Rocher-Portail, near
Fougères Fougères (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Foujerr'') is a Communes of France, commune and a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine Departments of France, department, located in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, no ...
, is a rare surviving example of this earlier architectural tradition. Clermont is one of the last châteaux to feature wings attached directly to the central building. However, its wings are noticeably smaller and lower in height, reflecting an Italian influence—a natural development at a time when many French architects were studying in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
and
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
. The château was completed just before 1650, shortly before a shift in architectural fashion led to the separation of wings from the central body, a trend exemplified by the construction of
Vaux-le-Vicomte The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte () or simply Vaux-le-Vicomte is a Baroque French château located in Maincy, near Melun, southeast of Paris in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department of Île-de-France. Built between 1658 and 1661 ...
and
François Mansart François Mansart (; 23 January 1598 – 23 September 1666) was a French architect credited with introducing classicism into the Baroque architecture of France. The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' identifies him as the most accomplished of 17th-c ...
’s design of the Château de Beaumesnil.


Mixture of styles

Although the design of the château was considered highly modern at the time of its construction, it incorporates several features reminiscent of older architectural styles. Corbelling is used on both the northern and southern facades, while on the Loire-facing side,
machicolations In architecture, a machicolation () is an opening between the supporting corbels of a battlement through which defenders could target attackers who had reached the base of the defensive wall. A smaller related structure that only protects key poi ...
—traditionally associated with medieval fortifications—are employed to support the high roofs. Despite these historical references, the architectural elements are harmoniously integrated into the overall design.


History

The château was inherited by the de Funès family from an aunt, the Countess of Maupassant. It was originally built by the Chenu de Clermont family, prominent military administrators of their time. René Chenu (1599–1672) served as governor of the fortified towns of Oudon and Champtoceaux, which controlled the Loire River upstream. His son, Hardy Chenu (1621–1683), oversaw the fortifications, cities, castles, and fortified towns throughout
Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
. The Chenu family were
vassals A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerai ...
of the
House of Condé A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
, which held extensive territories in western France. This feudal bond, strong under the
Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...
, was reinforced by a close personal friendship. René Chenu was a contemporary and loyal ally of Henry II de Bourbon, Prince of Condé. The lifespans of Hardy Chenu and Louis II de Bourbon-Condé, the Grand Condé, closely parallel each other, and Hardy served the Grand Condé during his military campaigns. Tradition holds that one of the Chenu—either father or son—saved the life of their lord, and that the Château de Clermont was built in gratitude for this act. Regardless of the precise details, the château’s grand proportions suggest the scale of princely patronage. The Château de Clermont was constructed shortly after the
Battle of Rocroi The Battle of Rocroi, fought on 19 May 1643, was a major engagement of the Thirty Years' War between a French army, led by the 21-year-old Duke of Enghien (later known as the Great Condé) and Spanish forces under General Francisco de Melo ...
(19 May 1643), where the Grand Condé secured a decisive victory that helped safeguard the throne of the young
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
. The château reflects the celebratory and triumphant spirit of the period. For 30 years, it was owned by the renowned French comedian
Louis de Funès Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fi ...
. In 2013, the building was converted into a museum dedicated to his life and career; however, the museum was closed in 2016.


See also

*
List of castles in France This is a list of castles in France, arranged by Regions of France, region and Departments of France, department. ;Notes: # The French word ''château'' has a wider meaning than the English ''castle'': it includes architectural entities that are p ...


References

*Jean de la Robrie, extract from ''Vielles Maisons Françaises'', number 49, July 1971 {{DEFAULTSORT:Chateau De Clermont Clermont, Chateau de Houses completed in 1649 Châteaux in Loire-Atlantique 1649 establishments in France