Specific dates of construction 1804-1805 (≈ 1805)
According to the source Monumentum.
1804-1810
Construction of the villa
Construction of the villa 1804-1810 (≈ 1807)
For General de Couëtus by Seheult.
24 mars 1997
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 24 mars 1997 (≈ 1997)
Order to register the villa.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Villa (Box I 767): registration by order of 24 March 1997
Key figures
Jean-Baptiste de Couëtus - General and sponsor
Initial owner of the villa.
Michel-André Seheult - Architect
Designer of plans inspired by Boullée.
Hippolyte de Cornulier-Lucinière - Owner by covenant
Husband of Couëtus' granddaughter.
Origin and history
The villa des Bretaudières is a property built between 1804 and 1810 in Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu, Loire-Atlantique, for General Jean-Baptiste de Couëtus. The architect Michel-André Seheult draws the plans, inspired by the rotunda houses of Boullée. This monument reflects the neoclassical influence of the era, with an elevated central body and two low wings, embellished with a north pediment and a tuffled south rotunda.
The villa then passes by alliance to Hippolyte de Cornulier-Lucinière, who marries the granddaughter of General de Couëtus. It is passed on by inheritance to the families of the Plessis-Quinquis, then West. In 1997, it was listed as historical monuments, recognizing its architectural value and its history linked to the 19th century local aristocracy.
Originally, the villa was surrounded by agricultural communes in the east and west, only those in the west remain today. Its massed plan and axiality, marked by a rotunda forebody, make it a remarkable example of a pleasure house of this period. The interior is distinguished by a vestibule serving an oval living room and a dining room on the ground floor, while on the first floor, a second vestibule leads to four bedrooms, including an oval above the living room.
