Château de Bournel: A Historic Estate in Cubry, France

Visitor Information

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Official Website: domainedebournel.com

Country: France

Civilization: Unclassified

Remains: Military

History

The Château de Bournel is situated in the village of Cubry in modern-day France. This estate has been under the ownership of the de Moustier family for more than five centuries, reflecting a long lineage of stewardship and architectural development tied closely to the region’s nobility.

In the early 18th century, the estate’s identity became firmly linked to the de Bournel name through a significant marriage. In 1732, Philippe-Xavier de Moustier, who would be granted the title of marquis in 1741 and serve as a colonel in the regiment of the Grand-Dauphin Louis de France, married Louise de Bournel. Shortly after, around 1735, Louise took the initiative to construct a large building complex on the estate. This construction, known today as the “Vieux Château” or Old Château, however, saw its original plan for the main château never fully realized, leaving this ensemble as the principal 18th-century structure.

A major transformation of the estate occurred in the mid-19th century under Léonel de Moustier, the fifth marquis, who was a seasoned diplomat and held ambassadorial posts across Europe and served as Foreign Minister under Emperor Napoleon III. Circa 1860, he commissioned the building of a new château in the neo-Gothic style. This modern residence was designed by Pierre Marnotte, who was guided by his mentor Clément Parent, a noted architect influenced by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, a key figure in 19th-century historicist architecture.

Following Léonel’s work, his successor Pierre-René de Moustier, the sixth marquis and his son, completed the estate’s interior decoration and expanded upon its grounds between 1890 and 1910. During this period, Pierre-René added a chapel inspired by the one at the Château d’Amboise, and engaged in extensive landscape work, blending formal French gardens with an English-style park. He also restored and enlarged the older 18th-century “Vieux Château” to its present form, further enriching the estate’s architectural and horticultural heritage.

The neo-Gothic château and its chapel received official recognition as historic monuments on August 28, 1989. Other elements of the estate, including its outbuildings, stables, farm, and a structure known as the Orival tower, were separately registered, acknowledging the estate’s composite historic value. Moreover, since 1997, the château, the surrounding village of Cubry, and the neighboring lands have been designated as part of a protected site, which helps preserve the cultural and historic landscape of the region.

Remains

The Château de Bournel estate presents a harmonious blend of architectural styles and landscaping that reflects its layered history. The core layout consists of two main château complexes alongside various ancillary buildings, gardens, and park areas, all enveloped within an 80-hectare property.

The centerpiece from the mid-19th century is the neo-Gothic château, notable for its stylistic nod to medieval architecture as reinterpreted during the 19th-century revivalist movement. Built around 1860, it includes a chapel modeled after the chapel of Château d’Amboise, a Renaissance castle on the Loire River. This chapel serves as a key architectural feature, marrying historic inspiration with contemporary religious function.

The gardens surrounding the château are an intricate combination of landscaping styles. Formal French gardens incorporate sculpted entrances that lead into the estate’s kitchen garden, showcasing precision and control in design. One of the kitchen garden’s prized features is a grotto that has been officially classified for its interest, adding a grotto’s characteristic blend of natural and artificial elements typical of grand estates.

In addition, the estate’s English-style park contrasts this formality with its more naturalistic landscapes, crisscrossed by both regular and irregular paths, supplemented by structures such as a covered walkway, a decorative kiosk, and a basin. This aspect of the garden has earned a “jardin remarquable” label, recognizing its exceptional design and preservation.

The “Vieux Château” is an impressive building complex from the 18th century, initially begun around 1735 under Louise de Bournel’s guidance and significantly altered and expanded between 1890 and 1910 by Pierre-René de Moustier. This transformation gave the older structure its current appearance, blending historical fabric with later architectural elements.

Supporting buildings such as the stable block, farm facilities, and the Orival tower have all been officially registered as part of the estate’s heritage. These structures, constructed predominantly in styles consonant with the neo-Gothic main château, embody the agricultural and functional aspects of the estate alongside its residential grandeur.

Together, these features offer a rich testimony to the estate’s continuous adaptation and embellishment across centuries, preserving the legacy of the de Moustier family and their evolving vision for Château de Bournel.