Sybirol domain à Floirac en Gironde

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Sybirol estate, located in Floirac, has its origins in the Middle Ages under the name of Feuillas Castle. At that time, only ruins and foundations remain today, especially near the "refreshing room". During the Wars of Religion, the noble house of Feuillas, known since the 15th century, became a meeting place for Huguenots. She welcomed such personalities as Michel de Montaigne in 1585, the Duke of Épernon in 1649 and Cardinal Mazarin in 1650, during the troubles of the Fronde.

Between 1722 and 1728, the estate was completely rebuilt by Bernard de Lamolère-Sibirol, a lawyer at the Bordeaux Parliament and director of the Monnaie de Bordeaux, who gave him his current name. In 1765 he was bought by his nephew, Jean-Baptiste de Lamolère, a rich Creole of Santo Domingo linked to the sugar industry. In the 19th century, the Marquis de Cahuzac, mayor of Floirac, transformed the estate into a landscaped park designed by Louis-Bernard Fischer, architect of the Bordeaux public garden.

The Chartreuse, in Bordeaux style, is distinguished by its sober facade decorated with two stretched ailerons and a cornice. The park, initially a farm of 53 hectares, is reduced to 23 hectares today. It houses remains such as a fresh underground room, a concrete lookout imitating wood (one of the first uses of this material), and a chapel called the Hermitage, linked to the legend of a refractory priest during the Revolution. In 2012, the estate was given to the city of Floirac to preserve its integrity and open it to the public.

The 1999 storm severely damaged the park, destroying a cedar planted in the 18th century. Despite this, many ancient species remain, such as cedars from Lebanon, oaks and beech trees. The estate, registered as a historical monument in 2000, also includes elements such as the Fountain of Monrepos, moved in the 1980s to avoid its destruction during the construction of a fast track. Today, it offers a link between the Coteaux parks and the Cypressat, while preserving an exceptional natural and architectural heritage.

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