 |
|
Chateau de La Colaissiere
4 Star****
Located in Western Loire Valley, France
HISTORY
It was with great pleasure that Drawbridge acquired Château de La Colaissière in November 2004. Château de La Colaissière is a beautiful, newly renovated castle situated near the Loire River in the Pays de La Loire Region between the cities of Nantes and Angers. It has a 15th - 17th century neo-gothic castle built on 12th century medieval fortifications and is surrounded by a wet moat.
Château de La Colaissière was closely affiliated with the Barony of Châteauceaux and was strategically situated on the border between Anjou and Brittany. It is thought that during the Middle Ages, the castle belonged to Colin de Tours, the river toll collector from Châteauceaux. At the beginning of the 15th century the property was passed on to Jehan de Barbechat, the Duke of Brittany. The castle was intimately involved in the Breton Wars of Succession, which ended in 1420. As a result, Château de La Colaissière was badly damaged and the town of Châteauceaux was completely destroyed. Both Château de La Colaissière and the Barony of Châteauceaux fell into the hands of the Duke of Anjou. In 1474 Louis XI, King of France, seized the Duchy of Anjou and gave Château de La Colaissière and the Barony of Châteauceaux to the Brosse family from the Duchy of Penthiévre in 1480.
In 1522, René de Brosse gave the castle to François de la Poëze for exemplary and loyal service as commander in chief of the armies of Brittany. François de la Poëze rebuilt the main building at Château de La Colaissière in the neo-gothic style. There was a strong Italian influence on the French Court during this time, which is evident in the beautiful Renaissance style and ornamentation found in Colaissière’s 16th century buildings. It was François de la Poëze who had the salamander (royal emblem of François 1, King of France) sculptured under the sentry box in the main building at Château de La Colaissière.
In 1532, Brittany became a French province, which closely united the de la Poëze family with the Royal line. Château de La Colaissière then became entangled in the Wars of Religion, and was subject to Huguenot invaders sacking and pillaging the district at the end of the 16th century.
In 1654, Château de La Colaissière saw the secret arrival of Cardinal de Retz, Archbishop of Paris who escaped from the Château in Nantes. Cardinal de Retz was a hero of the Fronde and was imprisoned by Marzarin. Injured during his flight by a fall from his horse, he asked for refuge at Château de La Colaissière. He spent the night hidden in the small room above the gatehouse and drawbridge. Ever since, this room has been called “The Cardinal’s Room”.
During the Revolution of 1793 the region took up arms in favor of God and King, marking the beginning of the Vendée wars. One year later in 1794, the counter-revolutionaries were quashed and with it came severe reprisals. The troops of the Republic ravaged the region. The inhabitants of St. Sauveur-de-Landemont and the priest of Clovis de la Poëze were savagely murdered and the great Knights Hall of Château de La Colaissière was set on fire. Luckily, the peasants succeeded in extinguishing the flames before they could spread to other parts of the castle.
Count Yves de la Poëze restored the main castle in 1894. For more than four centuries, Château de La Colaissière had remained the property of the de la Poëze family, who became one of the oldest and most noble families in Brittany. Eventually the property was sold to Mr. Cohen who restored it again in 1992 and added the modern conveniences that make the property the four-star luxury hotel that it is today. Drawbridge is proud to be the next owner of this wonderful château and we promise to care for it with the same respect and affection that the previous owners have afforded it over the past 900 years.
To return to the Chateau de La Colaissiere main page please click here.
For more information or to schedule your stay please contact:
Small & Elegant Hotels, International
9425 Whispering Sands
West Olive, MI 49460
TEL: (616) 844-6000 / FAX: (616) 844-6042
E-Mail: res@smallandeleganthotels.com