Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Bionnay, located in the municipality of Lacenas west of Villefranche-sur-Saône (the Rhône department), is a building whose history is marked by a succession of noble families. From the first half of the 16th century, the Marzé were the first attested lords, followed by the Gaspards in the second half of the same century. Claude and Jean de Gaspard, members of this lineage, embody this transition period.

In 1611, Amable Thierry acquired the estate. His daughter Marie, lady of Bionnay and Vaux, married Jean de Champier in 1643, Baron de Juis and baili du Beaujolais, thus consolidating the links between the seigneury and the local elites. Louis Mabiez became seigneur in 1656, before Antoine de Monspey, knight and then Count of Vallière, inherited the fief in 1661. His marriage to Jeanne Charlotte de Champier Rabutin in 1678, then the transmission of the estate to their son Joseph-Henri (Captain of dragons) in 1726, illustrate the aristocratic sustainability of the place.

The 18th century marked a turning point with the acquisition of the castle by Alexis Noyel de Belleroche in 1749, who saw its state of advanced degradation: "All the walls need to be resealed, that of the gallery on the morning side is ready to fall into the garden". The architectural transformations accelerated in the 18th and 19th centuries, giving the castle its present structure in "U", composed of a housing body (1830) framed by polygonal towers and a wing dated from the Second Empire. A turret, a deconstructed tower and an angle tower remain from the original construction.

In the 20th century, the castle changed hands several times: M. Thivel in 1857, Félix Fournier in 1902, then the Targe family in 1934. The end of the century saw a cultural revival with Morgane Rousseau, who founded in 1995 an artist residence dedicated to contemporary art. In 1999, Erick Roizard, owner of the Poliphile group, restored the estate, set up an editorial subsidiary ("Les Editions de Bionnay") and created gardens labeled as a remarkable Garden in 2011.

The park, spanning four hectares, combines a French garden, a cave and thematic spaces dedicated to rose. The coat of arms of the Monspey ("silver, two pelts of sand; to the chief of Azure"), accompanied by their motto "I joined the coins", recall the heraldic heritage of the place. Today, the castle embodies both a preserved architectural heritage and a dynamic pole of artistic creation.

Future

The park, open to the visit, extends over four hectares. There is a French-style garden, a cave and small gardens on the theme of rose.

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