Origin and history
The estate of the Château de Lapenty, originally linked to the Château de Saint-Symphorien-des-Monts, finds its origins in the 13th century with the construction of a first castle with ditches and a square dungeon, the only vestige still visible today. This dungeon, accompanied by a chapel, bears witness to medieval defensive architecture. Over the centuries, the site evolved, notably with the construction of a new castle in 1620 by the family of Vauborel, Louis XIII style, characterized by its sixteen windows, its double-revolution staircase and its pavilions joined by granite balustrades.
The French Revolution marked a turning point for the estate: seized in 1793 after the emigration of its owner, Charles Marie du Bourblanc d'Apreville, and the death of Antoine Anne Nicolas de Géraldin, the castle was temporarily transformed into a town hall. The inventory of 1793, detailed with precision, reveals a sumptuous interior, including luxurious furniture, works of art, and functional outbuildings ( stables, bakery, forge). The estate then housed an active seigneurial life, with servants, artisans, and a complete farm (stables, pigs, dovecote).
In the 19th century, the park was built in English garden around 1830, while the castle, destroyed by fire in 1916, was never rebuilt. Its ruins, considered dangerous, were razed in 1971 to allow the park to open to the public. The latter, transformed into an animal and floral park under the name of Eden Park in 1971 by Count Charles-Édouard de Miramon, housed rare species and centuries-old trees. The storm of 1999 caused significant damage, resulting in its closure until its partial reopening in 2012 for cultural events.
The park, listed in the Inventory of Historic Monuments, extends over 63 hectares (including 10 open to the public) and includes remarkable elements such as the covered track of the Cartesières (classified in 1977), a 16th century cottage, and the farm of the Basse-Court (registered in 2005). The successive owners, noble families such as the Mahé, the Vauborel, the Géraldin, and the Bourblanc, have marked its history, while figures such as Nicolas Géraldin (buyer in 1708) and Antoine Anne Nicolas de Géraldin (last seigneur before the Revolution) illustrate its prestige.
The architecture of the 17th century castle, described in the archives, revealed a south-facing building, with an honorary courtyard framed by pavilions and a richly furnished interior (lounges, chapel, equipped kitchens, libraries). The outbuildings, such as stables housing armored carriages or the bakery with its cereal reserves, reflected an autonomous seigneurial organization. Today, the estate is a testimony of this past, where medieval remains, romatic landscapes, and memory of Norman aristocratic families are mixed.
The lords of the estate, including the Mahé (XVth–XVIth centuries) and the Vauborel (17th century), left traces in the coat of arms and tombstones of the local church. The motto "Dinam" of the Bourblanc or "Atavis et armis" of the Cassagnes de Beaufort recalls their military and noble heritage. After the Revolution, the estate passed into the hands of families like the Rougé (XIXth–XXth centuries), before being transformed into a place of visit, mixing historical heritage and preserved nature.
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