Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Mornay Castle, located in Saint-Pierre-de-l'Isle in Charente-Maritime (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), has its origins in the 15th century with Pierre Pastureau, first known lord, father of Guillaume Patureau de Mornay (1466–1534). The present castle was rebuilt around 1642, as evidenced by the loss of a gabare carrying materials for its construction. Its architecture combines 16th-century mâchicoulis towers and a 17th-century house, unfinished or voluntarily in the shape of L, surrounded by moat.

The gallery of the castle, painted in the 17th century, is inspired by the Metamorphoses of Ovide, evoking that of the castle of Oiron. Long wrongly attributed to Nicolas Poussin, these frescoes were destroyed by a fire in 1947, with 18th-century apartments that housed cardboard tapestry by François Boucher. The estate, acquired in the year VI (1797–98) by Jean-Joseph Gast, former king's guard, and his wife Marie Marguerite Carayon, became a rest home in 1949 after its sale.

The park, classified as a historic monument since 1942, extends along the Button and houses remarkable trees, 18th and 19th century statues (such as a Diane Chassress or a Borghese Faune), and a "tour du chardon", a 16th century isolated tower. The castle, its gate, this tower and the park have been protected since 1949. Today, the site hosts guest rooms, receptions and seminars, while opening its park to the public in the afternoon.

The basements, with Gothic vaults, question about possible medieval foundations. The property, marked by successive sales, illustrates the evolution of the uses of French castles, moving from seigneurial residence to convalescence, then to tourist establishment. His history also reflects the errors of artistic attribution, such as that of paintings in Poussin, corrected by stylistic and chronological analysis.

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