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Origin and history

The Château du Bouilh, located in Saint-André-de-Cubzac en Gironde, is a neo-classical architectural ensemble of the 4th quarter of the 18th century, designed by architect Victor Louis, known for the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. Sponsored by Jean-Frédéric de La Tour du Pin Gouvernet, Marshal de camp and Minister of Louis XVI, the project aimed to create a residence worthy of welcoming the king. The works, begun in 1786, were interrupted in 1789 because of the Revolution and the arrest of the sponsor, which was guillotine in 1794. Only the West House Corps and the semi-elliptic gallery were completed.

The estate includes remarkable elements such as a circular leak (XIIth–XIIIth century, vestige of the medieval mansion), an octagonal water castle with an innovative hydraulic machine, and wine cellars in old quarries. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1943, the castle illustrates the architectural ambition of the Old Regime, mixing functionality (distribution of water, wine production) and symbolism (neo-gothic chapel, landscaped park).

Originally, the site housed a noble house attested as early as 1300, owned by the Bouilh family, then by the lords of Cubzac. In the 16th century, the fief passed to La Tour du Pin, which made the Bouilh their main residence. The present castle, which had not been completed, had to have two houses connected by a gallery, but the Revolution stopped its construction. Sold in 1835 to the Hubert-Delisle family (from Reunion), it remains today in the hands of their descendants.

The castle served as a setting for several films, including La Cousin Bette (1996) and Monsieur Léon (2006), showing its cinematic appeal. Its park, gardens and outbuildings (civiers, stewardship) reflect a seigneurial organization typical of the pre-revolutionary Guyenne, combining aristocratic prestige and wine-growing.

Victor Louis' architecture unfolds a sober neoclassical style, with Palladian influences (gallery in hemicycle, symmetry). The chapel, located in the centre of the Chamber, houses the owners' graves. The hydraulic system, rare for the time, provided water for the gardens and fountains, highlighting the technical luxury of the project.

Ranked with its outbuildings (leak, castle, cellar, park), the Bouilh embodies both the medieval heritage of the Cubzaguais and the fascists of the 18th century Bordeaux aristocracy, before the Revolution definitely interrupted the completion.

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