Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de La Louvière, located in Léognan en Gironde, finds its origins in a pre-existing noble house, probably fortified. In the 17th century, the estate belonged to the Chartreux de Bordeaux before being sold as a national good during the French Revolution. In 1791 the merchant and shipowner Jean-Baptiste Mareilhac acquired it and entrusted to architect François Lhote the reconstruction of the building in a neoclassical style between 1791 and 1799. Flemish painter François-Louis Lonsing, in charge of interior decorations, died in 1799 of a poisoning linked to the toxic pigments used, leaving unfinished the ceilings and greys of the rotunda lounge, finally finished by the Bordeaux painter Pierre Lacour.

The castle, rectangular in shape, is distinguished by its ionic columns and a court of honor bounded by perpendicular dependencies. Its architecture reflects the neoclassical influence of the era, with an ionic capital porch and a three-sided forebody overlooking the park. The estate, which remained in the Mareilhac family until the 19th century, was rewarded in 1869 with a gold medal from the Ministry of Agriculture under the direction of Alfred Mareilhac, grandson of Jean-Baptiste. In the 20th century, he changed hands several times, passing between those of Alfred Bertrand-Taquet in 1911 and André Lurton in 1965, who remained owner until his death in 2019.

Listed as a historic monument on September 13, 1991, the Château de La Louvière protects its facades, roofs, the large living room and its decor, as well as the wings of the communes and certain elements of the park. Its wine history, linked to the Pessac-Léognan appellation, and its neoclassical architecture make it a remarkable testimony to the girondin heritage of the late eighteenth century.

External links