Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Princé, located in Chaumes-en-Retz in Loire-Atlantique, is a historic site marked by several successive constructions. The oldest, a feudal castle surrounded by moat, is quoted from 1382. It was inhabited by Jeanne Chabot, known as Jeanne la Folle, the lady of Retz, who passed it on to his grandson Guy de Laval. Gilles de Rais, famous for his role alongside Jeanne d'Arc, is associated with a tower that disappeared in the 20th century, nicknamed the Tower of Blue Barbe. A chapel still remains on the site.

In the 17th century, Henri de Gondi, Duke of Retz, set up a Renaissance pavilion and exceptional gardens, the enchanted islands, organized into five islands surrounded by canals. These gardens blended nourishing, pleasant and functional spaces, with monuments such as the Bathrobe or the Turtle. The castle was set on fire in 1793 during the Vendée War, then partially rebuilt before being abandoned. A second castle, Prince Neuf, was built in the 19th century, but only cadastral traces remain.

The site is also linked to literary figures: the poem Le Palais de la volupté (1641) de Saint-Amant describes the new castle as a harmonious microcosm, dedicated to Apollo, Neptune, Pan and Diane. The gardens, although partially modified in the 18th century, bear witness to a unique artistic project, combining nature and architecture. Today, only remains, like walls, canals and a tower, recall this prestigious past.

The estate was fragmented in 1774, with the separate sale of the old castle and the pavilion. Jean Guillon, the king's squire, built a modern castle and a gazebo in 1778. The old plans, like the one of 1678, reveal a complex organization, with aisles, ponds and buildings now gone. The 1836 cadastre confirms this development, offering a precise vision of the evolution of the site.

The forest of Prince and its surroundings, such as the Palais de la Volupté or the enchanted islands, were places of recreation for the local aristocracy. Kermesses were organized there, and a podium is a vestige. The site also illustrates the strategic movements of castles in the region, linked to the defence of rivers such as the Acheneau or the Tenu. Today, it offers a rare testimony of garden art in the Renaissance.

Archaeological and historical sources, such as the work of V. Mathot (1992), have made it possible to locate missing elements, such as the Bathnoir or the Turtle, a dome-shaped cabin. These discoveries highlight the ingenuity of hydraulic and landscape arrangements, designed for fun and hunting. The Château de Princé thus remains a symbol of the Liguria heritage, between medieval history and Renaissance heritage.

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