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Origin and history

The Domaine de la Garenne Lemot is a landscaped park created in the early 19th century by the sculptor François-Frédéric Lemot on the communes of Gétigné, Clisson (Loire-Atlantique) and Cugand (Vendée). Inspired by Italian landscapes, Lemot designed a neo-Palladian villa, picturesque gardens and factories evoking antiquity, such as the temple of Vesta or the Henry IV column. The site, former hunting wood of the lords of Clisson, was transformed after the destruction of the French Revolution, in a context of reconstruction of the valley of the Sèvre.

Lemot acquired the land in 1805 and made it a tribute to Italy, with converging paths to the villa, dense plantations (poplars, pines, roses) and Italian buildings such as the gardener's house (1811-1815). He collaborated with architect Mathurin Crucy for the plans, while his manager, Joseph Gautret, supervised the works. The park also incorporates external elements, such as obelisk on the opposite bank of the Sèvre, to create perspectives.

After Lemot's death in 1827, his son Barthélémy finished the villa and added elements such as the lookout or the Illustrated Gallery, celebrating his father's artist friends. The estate, sold to the Loire-Atlantique General Council in 1968, is classified as a historical monument in stages from 1969. Today, it combines walks, contemporary art exhibitions and symposia, while preserving its landscape and architectural heritage.

The park houses symbolic factories, such as the Friendship Temple (transformed funeral chapel), the Heloise Cave (medieval reference), or the Rousseau Rock (Romantic inspiration). Lemot recreates a "historical landscape painting" on a real scale, inspired by 18th-century gardening treatises and parks like Ermenonville. The plant species, chosen to evoke Italy (pines, vines, acacias), are alongside local species.

Ranked for its facades, roofs and factories, the estate is also a remarkable ecological site, included in a ZNIEFF for its biodiversity (orchids, snakes, protected fish). Since the 1990s, restorations have been aimed at reviving the original picturesque atmospheres, while welcoming artists' residences and cultural events, such as the "Interviews de la Garenne Lemot" or exhibitions in partnership with FRAC Pays de la Loire.

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