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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Métairie des Pères, also known as the Haut-Pérat house, is an estate located in the Gonds, Charente-Maritime. This site, whose origins date back at least to the eighteenth century, was acquired in 1733 by the Jesuit College of Saintes. The latter made it a holiday and rest home for teachers and students, thus reflecting its initial educational and religious use.

Following the French Revolution, the house was confiscated and became a "national property". In 1803 he was bought by Jean Vanderquand and then divided between his four children after his death in 1812. It was only in 1895 that Léon Triou, whose wife Suzanne Baron was a descendant of the Vanderquand family, reunited the estate by buying the four lots. Since then, the property has remained in the family, managed today by a Groupement Fondcier Agricole (GFA) composed of the descendants of the five children of Léon Triou.

In architectural terms, the facades, roofs and central stairway of the house were listed as historical monuments by an order of 14 April 1997. This classification reflects the heritage value of the site, linked to its Jesuit history and its post-revolutionary family evolution. The area thus illustrates the social and economic transformations of the region, from its religious use to its private transmission.

The house is also associated with the history of the Society of Jesus in New Aquitaine, especially through its connection with the College of Saints. After the Revolution, his journey reflected the land changes and the family preservation strategies that had enabled his conservation until today.

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