Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de la Persagotière, located in Nantes, has its origins in the mid-19th century. At the initiative of the teacher Henri Dunan, a school for the deaf was founded in 1824, supported by the municipality. In 1856, the estate of La Haute Robertière, renamed La Persagotière, was acquired to transfer the institution, then in full expansion. The Brothers of Saint-Gabriel, led by Louis-Augustin Cailleau (Frère Louis), develop a specialized education, expanding the site with workshops, a chapel and agricultural spaces.

In 1880, the Milan Congress imposed oralism, reorganizing the institute's teaching methods. After World War I, La Persagotière became a rehabilitation centre for wounded soldiers, before returning to its educational activities. In 1974, the blind section left the site for Vertou, while the institute moved towards school inclusion. In 2020, he merged with the Institut Les Hauts-Thébaudières to form the Ocens Public Institute, while preserving the castle and chapel, classified as a nantais heritage.

The estate, partially sold to the city of Nantes, is now being converted into an eco-neighborhood combining housing, green spaces and historical memory. Only the renovated castle and chapel remain from the original site. The institute, now spread over several sites in the Loire-Atlantique, continues its medical and social mission to children with disabilities.

The Persagotary also played a key role during the two world wars, serving as a military hospital in 1914 and 1939. Its history reflects the evolution of educational and medical practices in France, marked by figures such as Henri Dunan or Brother Louis, whose legacy continues through current structures.

The contemporary project integrates the castle, protected, in a public park open to the Nantaise Sèvre. This redevelopment is part of a dynamic of valuing the heritage of Nantes, while meeting the modern needs of accessibility and housing. The chapel, built in 1873, should also be classified, highlighting the historical importance of the site.

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