Construction of the castle 1er quart du XIXe siècle (≈ 1925)
Built as a hunting date by a mayor.
3 mars 1988
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 3 mars 1988 (≈ 1988)
Fronts, roofs and protected park.
8 juin 1990
Classification of interior decorations
Classification of interior decorations 8 juin 1990 (≈ 1990)
Hall and dining room classified.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Façades and roofs of the house and the two bodies of commons; Park A 430 to 432): registration by order of 3 March 1988; Entrance hall: all interior decoration, including parquet; dining room: decor, including the panoramic wallpaper La Chasse à Compiègne (cad. A 431): classification by order of 8 June 1990
Key figures
Carle Vernet - Painter
Author of the wallpaper *The hunting in Compiègne*.
Jacquemart - Owner
Associated with the construction of the castle.
Bénard - Owner
Associated with the construction of the castle.
Origin and history
The castle of La Guérinière, located in Gesnes, was built in the 1st quarter of the 19th century by a mayor of Loudun to make it a hunting event. The building, designed with a single jet, consists of a body of houses with links and stone tables, flanked by two side pavilions and integrated into a park with cavalier aisles. Two communal buildings complete the whole south of the house. This castle illustrates architecture and the aristocratic uses of the era, mixing cynegetic function and prestige residence.
Inside, the ground floor features a typical Restoration decor, especially in the entrance hall, where paintings mimic marble with pilasters. The dining room is decorated with a panoramic wallpaper depicting the hunt in Compiègne, the work of painter Carle Vernet. These elements, as well as facades and roofs, were protected under the Historic Monuments: inscription in 1988 for the exterior and the park, and classification in 1990 for interior decorations.
The castle is associated with two masters mentioned in the archives: Jacquemart and Bénard, although their precise roles are not detailed. Originally conceived as a hunting and reception place, the building reflects the aesthetic tastes and social practices of the local elite at the beginning of the 19th century, in an area then marked by the transition between Ancient Regime and modernity.
Today, the castle of La Guérinière remains an architectural and artistic testimony of this period, with protected elements including facades, roofs, the park, as well as interior decorations of the hall and dining room. Its history and conservation underline the importance of secondary residences and hunting lodges in the French rural heritage.
