Castle of Olbreuse

The Castle of Olbreuse is situated in Usseau, in Deux-Sèvres, in Western France. It was built in the eleventh century.

History

The castle and protestantism

The Castle of Olbreuse is known for its affiliation with Protestantism specifically Calvinism in the sixteenth century. At that time the castle belonged to a family branch Desmier, the Desmier of Olbreuse. In early eighteenth century the castle belonged to Éléonore Desmier d'Olbreuse, daughter of Alexandre Desmier of Olbreuse (1608–1660), it was then, in 1702 Louis XIV put the castle receivership to punish heiress aiding Protestants. Indeed, since the conversion of the Desmier family to Calvinism, they took part in the religious wars against Catholics. In 1685, Alexandre, the brother of Éléonore, lived at Olbreuse with his wife, who was the granddaughter of the poet Agrippa d'Aubigné, of Protestant background. Thanks to the protection of the House of Brunswick to which Eleanor belonged by her union with the German Prince George William of Lüneburg-Celle (1624–1705), he took the initiative to temporarily hide Protestants. One of them, the teacher of Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon told through his diary that period. He writes about Alexandre Desmier "this veritable feeder was not only supports diverse and retreat for me and for you, but for all the people who came to ask her help and retirement during the persecution." In 1707, the receivership of Louis XIV was lifted and the castle went to Éléonore. On the death of the latter in 1722, the castle’s new owner was her daughter Sophia Dorothea of Celle, wife of King George I of Great Britain but died four years later leaving the property to his children, George II of England and Queen Sophia of Prussia.

The castle and the family Prevot of Gagemont

In 1727 Sophie's husband, Frederick William I did make inquiries and learns that the castle reports 2110 pounds per year. Both heirs decided to "outright gift" for 40,000 pounds the castle to their Olbreuse cousins of the family Prévot de Gagmont whom were Catholics. This transaction was authorized by Louis XV, 17 September 1729 in a judgment: "Our beloved trusty Alexandre Prevost, lord of Gagemont ... has exposed us humbly having the honor of belonging as a cousin to our beloved deceased and beloved cousin, Mrs. Eleanor, Duchess of Brunswick Lüneburg maternal grandmother of our beloved king, brother King of Great Britain, and our very dear sister the Queen of Prussia that as heirs of this princess, land and lordship of Olbreuse, located in our kingdom, the land of Aunis Today belongs: it is by this consideration and put Olbreuse said land in the family of the princess it has pleased our dear brother King of Great Britain and our very dear sister of the queen Prussia to donate to exhibitor (...) ". He remained in that family until 1871, the cause being the last owner Madame Nossay, had no heirs.

The return to Desmiers

The castle, after an arrangement with Madame de Nossay, was sold to Baron Charles Desmier d’Olbreuse (1829–1915) for this monument from falling into the wrong hands. You should know that the baron is not a direct descendant of éléonore desmier d’Olbreuse, it came from a cousin branch of the Desmier Carliere, who immigrated during the Revolution and who in return France took the name of Desmier Olbreuse. The castle is again talking about him during World War II, he served as a hospital for the blind of the war wounded.

Hostel

In 1983, the castle of Olbreuse knows a revival with the creation of the LLC "Hostel Castle Olbreuse". Shareholders are the owners and their son Dominic, Mr. Arrived (chef) and Ms. Arrived (manager). The inn serves initially to host seminars, four study rooms were available with a capacity of up to 100 people. The restaurant room has a capacity of 150 people for banquets and 200 for receptions and lunches. It also had eleven rooms steeped in the tradition and comfort of the old days. The menus proposed by chef Jean arrived were meant to close the soil. They were composed of up to products from the region (e.g. fish arrived directly from La Rochelle). The specialities of the Inn were: goat dung, turbot sabayon green pepper sauce duck breast with goat cheese, sweetbreads braised with Pineau des Charentes, frozen nougat angelica in Niort, hot apple puff and cider sabayon. The inn of the castle closed its doors forever with the purchase of the property in 1996.

Secrets and myths sorounding the castle

Olbreuse since its creation been the subject of much controversy. Some people from around recount through stories that pass from generation to generation that the castle was burned 27 times. The existence of a salt cellar inside the property is also debate this theory is very likely because history proves that salt was a commodity widely used for food preservation. Other statements say that the south west tower would contain a deadly, that assumption was disproved by contemporary owners. Underground were built below the castle, they are known by all the people who live nearby. These underground through the village of Olbreuse they were prolonged until the Mauzé Mignon (located 6.6 km from Olbreuse), others went underground to the church of Our Lady of Dey (located south of the town of Prin-Deyrançon about 7 kilometers of Olbreuse) and some even poured into the woods of Olbreuse. These underground were used during the religious wars to allow Protestants to hide and flee, they were perfectly built, it was time to stand by, there was even breathing room. At present, these underground are impractical or even destroyed.

The Desmier d'Olbreuse

A family of military tradition, they wore a coats of arms of prestigious simplicity: "quartered azure and silver four lilies in the other one." Tradition has it that this shield them was granted by King John the Good in the battle of Poitiers. The genealogical dictionary of families of Poitou-Beauchet Filleau find their traces from the thirteenth century.

Architecture^[1]

Olbreuse does not show up as one of these fine homes by which the nobles could show their power and wealth. Such constructions are also rare in the region. While it is very different today from what it was in the Middle Ages, it continues to be what it always was, a small castle unpretentious well integrated into the rural world, a distinguished home but remains in the measurement of a landscape all shades and balance. By the thirteenth century until the late Middle Ages, the castle was arranged in a single plane. We were dealing with a rectangle with a four-storey tower with loopholes at each corner. Only two of these towers remain: the building that connects the wing did not exist and instead was a curtain wall that allowed to go to the castle itself two advanced towers. On the other side of the rectangle, a side wall joined the two towers now extinct. We still see the remains of that of the background in the corner of the old parking. Another court closed the front wall but nothing remains today. There were wells that were especially deep (40 m) in the limestone soil, which provided water. The interesting structure that covers its dome now to the "imperial" seems to date from the sixteenth or seventeenth century. The castle itself, the inhabited part consisted of a single building which were accotées the towers alone. It remains now that half, the rest having been slaughtered. This home was lower than the current and narrower windows. We see traces of a semicircular door that indicates the level of the first floor. Under the house was dug a vault still very well preserved including the external input is clearly distinguished in the middle of the building. Such a device was not designed to defend against real hosts. It mainly served to put the lord, his family, his people and villagers safe from prowlers bands that troubled region did not fail to know, especially during the Hundred Years' War. In the eighteenth century, around 1760 if we are to believe the inscriptions placed on the lintel of some doors, the Prevot family commitment, then owner of the castle, removes the curtain wall and built the wing perpendicular to the central building of the body. The corner room is a large kitchen with stone paving and garden in which stands a large fireplace. It has changed little since that time and the imposing rustic table remained in place. In contrast against the tower is installed a wood lounge very well preserved. At that time, the wing does not have a high first floor windows: this is only a kind of attic small openings. The roof to the way the country is still a slightly inclined roof Roman tiles. The windows of the central building are enlarged and heightened first floor. The two vanes Note that on the towers are of the same time, as evidenced by the dates contained therein. At the end of the nineteenth century, the castle returns to Desmier family. These as too small they decided to raise the floor of the wing, replacing the traditional roof by a much steeper frame they are then covered with zinc. They also kill the second tower is in ruins. Thus began a period of deterioration of the building that its owners do not have the resources to renovate. In 1967, one of the heirs, of Olbreuse Desmier Christiane and her husband Felix Maingueneau, noting the extreme dilapidation the castle, decided to restore it and make extra register for the inventory of historical monuments.

Owners

As far as can be traced, the castle was owned by a branch of the family Desmier: The Desmier of Olbreuse. In the early seventeenth century, the castle owner Alexander Desmier d'Olbreuse (1608–1660) married in first nuptials Jacqueline Poussard De Vandre. From their union were born four children, Eleanor. He then married Jeanne Beranger Du Beugnon, he had two sons, Henri and Jean. The children of the first marriage alike the ones from the second marriage died without heirs, except Eleanor. At his death in 1722, she left Olbreuse to her daughter, Sophia Dorothea. She was the wife of George I, King of Great Britain but she died in 1726; the castle became property of her children, George II and Queen Sophia of Prussia. In 1729, the castle was owned by the Prevot of Gagemont until 1871. Later the castle belonged to Baron Charles Desmier of Olbreuse until 1915. His daughter Naomi was its heir until his death in 1964. Upon his death the castle is income to his daughter, Christiane Desmier of Olbreuse and her husband Félix Maingueneau until 1996. It now belongs to the family Boscals de Reals.

Notes and references

Annexes

Related articles

• Usseau

Bibliography

• Châteaux, manoirs, logis des Deux-Sèvres, Prahecq, éditions Patrimoines et Médias, 1993 (ISBN 2-910137-04-X)

Coordinates: 46°10′59″N 0°36′02″W / 46.1831°N 0.6006°W / 46.1831; -0.6006