Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Sauzaie castle, mentioned in 1363, originally belonged to Durmas de Sainte-Maure, captured by the English. To pay his ransom, he gave the estate to Adam Chel, Welsh lord, before the king of France restored it in 1372. In 1462 Jean Dupont, the new owner, handed him over to his daughter Jeanne Rabeau, who completed his reconstruction around 1483 with his son. The estate changed hands several times, notably in 1608, when Marie d'Angliers brought it into dowry to René de Saint-Légier, a Saintonge Protestant.

In 1628, the castle served as a refuge for Cardinal Richelieu during the siege of La Rochelle. It was then acquired in 1763 by Denis Goguet, a rock merchant enriched by trade with Canada, who had it rebuilt in a rock style. After his death in 1778, the estate passed to his son Denis-Joseph, and then to several owners, including traders and a monacal congregation. In 1847 Charles Fournier, notary and future mayor of La Rochelle, became its owner. The castle, partially burned around 1833-1834, was rebuilt in the 19th century.

The estate, which was listed in the Historical Monuments in 1997 for its facades, roofs, interior decorations of the eighteenth century and its moats, was finally acquired by Cognac Godet. Its architecture reflects the successive transformations, from its medieval origins to its 18th and 19th century redevelopments, through its strategic role during the 17th century religious conflicts.

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