Château Sentout
Encyclopedia
Château Sentout is a castle in Tabanac
, in the department of Gironde
in southwestern France
.
It has been listed as a Monument historique
since 1989.
s but its history can be traced back to at least 1650 (as documented in Bordeaux
's archives) when the owner was Monsieur Jean de Sentout. In 1740, the then owner, Baron de Gasq, Minister of Parliament for Bordeaux, sold the Château to Monsieur Jean Letellier, ship-chandler to the navy, who delivered his wine and merchandise from his residence at rue du Chai des Farines in Bordeaux to the docks. With the addition of Château Sentout, Monsieur Letellier's property covered over 3 square kilometres of woodland, fields and vineyards, some of which were situated at the "Bastide", now Bordeaux's right bank. Monsieur Letellier also had dealings with the so-called "Commerce Triangulaire" (Triangular Trade) trading between Europe, Africa and America. His descendants, B and R Letellier and later, the Laville de Lacombe family, owned the Château.
During the nineteenth century then, by marriage to Aline Laville de Lacombe, Monsieur Eugène Fichot, a hydrographical engineer to the navy and member of the French Academy of Sciences
, became the owner of Sentout. Monsieur Fichot, amongst other achievements, plotted the map of the Indo-Chinese coastline. Château Sentout produced wine until its last official harvest of 1972.
There are two reasons for the vineyard's decline. Firstly, the wine business as a whole was badly hit after the Second World War affecting, in particular, the production of white wine. Secondly, the Fichot family used the Château as their summer residence only, spending the rest of the year in Paris. This meant that the estate gradually fell into a state of disrepair. In particular, the roofs, which required constant attention, began to leak, causing the beams to rot and eventually many roofs caved in. There had in fact been no serious repair work undertaken since 1864. Due to various French legal problems governing inheritance, the Château was eventually sold in 1973 by court order for only FF 170,000.
The new owners, Monsieur Gugnon and his son, had the intention of building houses on the estate. However, Tabanac's mayor, Monsieur Fabre
, retired glass artist and engraver, despite suffering from silicosis, continuously opposed the project in order to preserve the Château's character. After seven years, Messieurs Gugnon sold the property to the Peltier
family in 1980. Since then, the Peltiers have restored the estate carefully respecting its special character.
The window bays of the main house were originally arched. These were bricked up long ago and replaced in the eighteenth century by larger rectangular bays. However, an example of one of the original bays can still be seen in the library, but only from the inside!
The main house, flanked on both sides by two massive square towers surmounted by balustrades, is embellished by two turrets and a large square tower, all three roofed with slate. The terrace at the front of the house is decorated with a stone balustrade offered by Château Lacaussade in settlement for a lawsuit.
The bakery, situated next to the entrance gates and in which the oven is surmounted by a slate-roofed turret, was where Madame Fichot lived from 1948 for a few years until she died aged 94 years old. The staircase was built by Monsieur Giresse, a carpenter at Langoiran
and grandfather of the famous footballer, Alain Giresse. He re-used the wood kept since 1936 from the old wine press when it was replaced by a "modern" wine press in steel and cement.
The interior of the Chapel was originally coated with lime and daubed with ochre and red chalk. In 1864, it was heightened, columns were added and a trompe l'oeil oak panelling was painted by Monsieur Gaston Coudray.
The storehouse containing the wine barrels is a typical example of Bordeaux's eighteenth-century architectural style with its four-sided sloping slate roof and double triangular gables, which caved in during the 1970s due to lack of maintenance. The adjacent storehouses which housed the wine press and the oak casks met with the same fate in 1981. The wine press can however still be seen standing in the open air in the rose garden.
Monsieur Lieuzere, painter and glass artist, made the stained-glass windows in 1864. Badly damaged by storms and children, they were restored by Muriel Goupil, an experienced glass artist, in 1985. The floor is paved laterally with tiles from the Gironde
, the centre of which is decorated with black, green and vermilion hardened plaster.
New roofs now cover the wide-arched coach house, stable and hayloft (the row of buildings closest to the swimming pool). The old crumbling roof and beams had fallen on the rusting carriages below destroying them beyond repair.
There is a statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a rock sheltered by an arbour. According to Monsieur Fichot's descendants, the arbour was designed by Le Nôtre, famous landscape architect, who created "Garden à la française
" in the 17th century.
Tabanac
Tabanac is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is located approximately a 30 minute drive from the centre of Bordeaux.-Population:-Le Bourg:...
, in the department of Gironde
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
in southwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
It has been listed as a Monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
since 1989.
History
It is now converted to gîteGîte
"Gîte" is a French term which refers to a specific type of holiday accommodation. A "Gîte" is a holiday home that is available for rent. Gîtes are usually fully furnished and equipped for self-catering...
s but its history can be traced back to at least 1650 (as documented in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
's archives) when the owner was Monsieur Jean de Sentout. In 1740, the then owner, Baron de Gasq, Minister of Parliament for Bordeaux, sold the Château to Monsieur Jean Letellier, ship-chandler to the navy, who delivered his wine and merchandise from his residence at rue du Chai des Farines in Bordeaux to the docks. With the addition of Château Sentout, Monsieur Letellier's property covered over 3 square kilometres of woodland, fields and vineyards, some of which were situated at the "Bastide", now Bordeaux's right bank. Monsieur Letellier also had dealings with the so-called "Commerce Triangulaire" (Triangular Trade) trading between Europe, Africa and America. His descendants, B and R Letellier and later, the Laville de Lacombe family, owned the Château.
During the nineteenth century then, by marriage to Aline Laville de Lacombe, Monsieur Eugène Fichot, a hydrographical engineer to the navy and member of the French Academy of Sciences
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
, became the owner of Sentout. Monsieur Fichot, amongst other achievements, plotted the map of the Indo-Chinese coastline. Château Sentout produced wine until its last official harvest of 1972.
There are two reasons for the vineyard's decline. Firstly, the wine business as a whole was badly hit after the Second World War affecting, in particular, the production of white wine. Secondly, the Fichot family used the Château as their summer residence only, spending the rest of the year in Paris. This meant that the estate gradually fell into a state of disrepair. In particular, the roofs, which required constant attention, began to leak, causing the beams to rot and eventually many roofs caved in. There had in fact been no serious repair work undertaken since 1864. Due to various French legal problems governing inheritance, the Château was eventually sold in 1973 by court order for only FF 170,000.
The new owners, Monsieur Gugnon and his son, had the intention of building houses on the estate. However, Tabanac's mayor, Monsieur Fabre
Fabre
Fabre is a surname of Occitan French origin, and may refer to:* André Fabre , French thoroughbred horse racing trainer* Cindy Fabre , Miss France for 2005* Dominique Fabre , French novelist* Dominique Fabre Fabre is a surname of Occitan French origin, and may refer to:* André Fabre (born 1945),...
, retired glass artist and engraver, despite suffering from silicosis, continuously opposed the project in order to preserve the Château's character. After seven years, Messieurs Gugnon sold the property to the Peltier
Peltier
Peltier is a French surname and may refer to:* Jean Charles Athanase Peltier , French physicist, documented the Peltier effect* Lee Peltier , English football player...
family in 1980. Since then, the Peltiers have restored the estate carefully respecting its special character.
Architecture
The Château's differing architectural styles which mark the passing years lend to its elegance and unique charm. An Italian feel is created by the Genoese storehouse and its Tuscan columns found in the courtyard. The inner courtyard's patio is Spanish in style and the windows leading from the main house to the bishop's bedroom are Moorish - "Retour d'Egypte" (1813).The window bays of the main house were originally arched. These were bricked up long ago and replaced in the eighteenth century by larger rectangular bays. However, an example of one of the original bays can still be seen in the library, but only from the inside!
The main house, flanked on both sides by two massive square towers surmounted by balustrades, is embellished by two turrets and a large square tower, all three roofed with slate. The terrace at the front of the house is decorated with a stone balustrade offered by Château Lacaussade in settlement for a lawsuit.
The bakery, situated next to the entrance gates and in which the oven is surmounted by a slate-roofed turret, was where Madame Fichot lived from 1948 for a few years until she died aged 94 years old. The staircase was built by Monsieur Giresse, a carpenter at Langoiran
Langoiran
Langoiran is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-Personalities:It is the birthplace of French footballer Alain Giresse who played in the 1986 World Cup.-External links:*...
and grandfather of the famous footballer, Alain Giresse. He re-used the wood kept since 1936 from the old wine press when it was replaced by a "modern" wine press in steel and cement.
The interior of the Chapel was originally coated with lime and daubed with ochre and red chalk. In 1864, it was heightened, columns were added and a trompe l'oeil oak panelling was painted by Monsieur Gaston Coudray.
The storehouse containing the wine barrels is a typical example of Bordeaux's eighteenth-century architectural style with its four-sided sloping slate roof and double triangular gables, which caved in during the 1970s due to lack of maintenance. The adjacent storehouses which housed the wine press and the oak casks met with the same fate in 1981. The wine press can however still be seen standing in the open air in the rose garden.
Monsieur Lieuzere, painter and glass artist, made the stained-glass windows in 1864. Badly damaged by storms and children, they were restored by Muriel Goupil, an experienced glass artist, in 1985. The floor is paved laterally with tiles from the Gironde
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
, the centre of which is decorated with black, green and vermilion hardened plaster.
New roofs now cover the wide-arched coach house, stable and hayloft (the row of buildings closest to the swimming pool). The old crumbling roof and beams had fallen on the rusting carriages below destroying them beyond repair.
There is a statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a rock sheltered by an arbour. According to Monsieur Fichot's descendants, the arbour was designed by Le Nôtre, famous landscape architect, who created "Garden à la française
Garden à la française
The French formal garden, also called jardin à la française, is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order over nature. It reached its apogee in the 17th century with the creation of the Gardens of Versailles, designed for Louis XIV by the landscape architect André Le...
" in the 17th century.