Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The château du Haut-Buisson, located in Cherré (Sarthe), is a neo-Louis XV style madness built in 1847. This monument is distinguished by its elegant architecture and modern amenities for the time, such as sanitary facilities in English earthenware and greenhouses dedicated to rare orchids, offered by Queen Alexandra of England. The estate embodied a luxurious living environment, combining art and comfort, as illustrated by the portraits of Richelieu by Van Loo and Lawrence exhibited in his salons.

Alice Heine, Princess of Monaco, held sumptuous receptions for personalities such as Pierre Loti. Gabriel Louis Pringué's memoirs highlight the opulence of the places, where artistic collections (a portrait attributed to Cluet) and technical innovations were mixed, reflecting the social status of its owners. The greenhouses, in particular, symbolized this passion for prestige, with exceptional botanical species cultivated on site.

After the death of the 8th Duke of Richelieu in 1953, the castle was bequeathed to the universities of Paris to establish a department of plant biology, a project never realized. Left behind, the estate was bought by the commune of Cherré in 2009. Thanks to his enrolment in the Bern mission in 2021, restoration work began in March 2022, marking the beginning of a possible renaissance for this emblematic heritage.

The decline of the castle illustrates the challenges of preserving the insanities of the 19th century, often conceived as luxury secondary residences. Its recent history also reflects local efforts to save an architectural and cultural heritage, between aristocratic memory and contemporary issues of tourism valorization.

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