Construction of the castle 1655 (≈ 1655)
Built by Olivier du Bois-Chevalier, squire.
1666
Erection in chestnut
Erection in chestnut 1666 (≈ 1666)
Noble status granted to the estate.
1793
Occupation by Charette
Occupation by Charette 1793 (≈ 1793)
Vendée wars, festivities organized.
1952
Partial registration
Partial registration 1952 (≈ 1952)
Large staircase protected by arrest.
1980
MH classification
MH classification 1980 (≈ 1980)
Facades and roofs classified.
2021
Expanded registration
Expanded registration 2021 (≈ 2021)
Protection of the domain and dependencies.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The large inside staircase: inscription by decree of 5 September 1952; Fronts and roofs (Box D 682): classification by decree of 7 March 1980; The following parts of the domain of Bois Chevalier, as delimited by a red line and a full/flat on the plan annexed to the decree: the platform of the castle with its eastern terrace, its moat and bridge of arrival, the two bodies of water (including the lifting of masonry separation), with their water supply ditch, the plots corresponding to the old gardens, with their fence walls, the wooded plots of the enclosed park and the alleys, the orangery and the chapel in whole, the facades and roofs of the building of the pressoir, excluding the building attached to it, all of which appear in the cadastre section D, on plots 640, 676 to 683, 781 to 783, 785, 786: inscription by order of 17 June 2021
Key figures
Olivier du Bois-Chevalier - Sponsor and shield
The castle was built in 1655.
Charles-César Chevalier - Son of Olivier, Mayor of Nantes
Counsellor of the king (1676-1678).
Charette - Sales chef
Occupied the castle in 1793.
Origin and history
The Château de Bois Chevalier is a classical building built in 1655 in Legé, in the Loire-Atlantique department. Unlike many castles of the time, it does not replace a pre-existing construction. He was commissioned by Olivier du Bois-Chevalier, squire and president of the tribunal of Nantes, and embodied 17th-century civil architecture with its central pavilion and six pavilions arranged symmetrically. The estate, surrounded by moats and gardens, was erected as a chestnut in 1666.
In 1793, during the Vendée Wars, the castle was occupied by the Salesian chef Charette, who organized festivities there. This monument, marked by local history, was partially listed as a historical monument in 1952, and was classified in 1980 for its facades, roofs and elements of the estate. A supplementary inscription in 2021 protects additional parts, such as orangery, chapel and gardens.
The Château de Bois Chevalier also served as the setting for the film Le Tonnerre de Dieu (1965) by Denys de la Patellière, with Jean Gabin. This place, combining architectural and historical heritage, reflects both the influence of the 17th century Nantes elites and the upheavals of the French Revolution in Vendée.
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