Château de Beaulon

The Château de Beaulon is a château—castle located in the town of Saint Dizant du Gua, near the southwestern coast in the Charente-Maritime Department of the Poitou-Charentes region, in France. The château was built circa 1480 as a residence for the Bishops of Bordeaux.

Château de Beaulon history

Built in 1480 by the de Vinsons family, the Chateau became the property of the ‘de Beaulon’ family in 1510 and their name remains today.

In the 17^th century, the heir of Beaulon His Grace de Nesmond, bishop of Bayeux and Advisor to King Louis XIV placed the Chateau in the management of the Bishops of Bordeaux. They were to have a determining influence on the vineyards. Upon taking over the estate they discovered a vineyard used only for the production of eau-de-vie.

The north face of the Chateau bears witness to this original style of construction with the exception of the extensions on either side.

The roof window on the left hand side is an important element in the overall composition, a sumptuous reminder of medieval architecture at its most illustrious. Situated at the top of a vertical row of windows it appears to be cut out of the dark backdrop of the slate roof. Adorned with ornate floral sculptures, ornamental cabbage and small hooked pinnacles outlined against the azure sky.

In comparison the second renaissance roof window is strictly classical but this lack of symmetry doesn’t detract from the building’s overall harmony, on the contrary it underlines the authenticity of a construction which has survived five centuries of History.

The present gardens were created beginning in 1942. The park includes a French formal garden around the château, and an English landscape garden. The garden is listed by the Committee of Parks and Gardens of the French Ministry of Culture as one of the Remarkable Gardens of France.

A major feature of the landscape park are the Fontaines Bleues, natural springs whose waters are an unusual brilliant hue of blue. There is also a round dovecote structure with a conical roof, dating from 1740, with fifteen hundred nesting holes.

Château de Beaulon today

The privately-owned château with both stone Gothic and Renaissance style facades, it’s gardens and landscape park, a Monument historique, are open to the public.

Getting to Château de Beaulon

The Château de Beaulon is located in the town of Saint Dizant du Gua, near the southwestern coast in the Charente-Maritime Department of the Poitou-Charentes region, in France.