Le Château du Boistissandeau - Les Herbiers

The Château du Boistissandeau in Les Herbiers is an important late-Renaissance dwelling listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments for its facades, roofs and formal gardens.

A 17-hectare estate comprising a château, a regular garden and a kitchen garden (listed in the Inventaire Supplémentaire des Monuments Historiques), parkland, meadows and woods, the Domaine du Boistissandeau is a heritage site with an exceptionally well-preserved landscape.
The quality of its architecture and gardens, and the importance of the historical events that took place within the walls of the current château - which dates back to the end of the Renaissance - all combine to make Le Boistissandeau an emblematic site of the Bocage region.

THE HISTORY OF THE DOMAINE DU BOISTISSANDEAU:

To get to the château, follow the path of ancient beech and hornbeam trees, which gives a glimpse of two bridleways.
Once you reach the gate, you can make out the main building, built in 1578.
The Château du Boistissandeau can be seen below the access avenue, as it was built mid-slope to dominate the valley and the Petit-Lay stream. To this end, terraced gardens were laid out as soon as it was built, at the end of the 16th century.
The castle's history can be divided into five main periods:
Around 1600, three generations of Ollivereau built the present château. The last of them died in a duel without issue in 1641. His widow bequeathed Boistissandeau to a nephew, Jean-Baptiste d'Hillerin.
Around 1750, Jean-Baptiste Laurent d'Hillerin (1704-1779), the nephew's son, enlarged the château, developed the terraced gardens and extended them to the east, adding orangeries and a large vegetable garden. His widow, who was infirm and 84 years old, and two of their daughters were massacred by the infernal columns in the courtyard of Boistissandeau on 31 January 1794.
Around 1800, the marriage of a Hillerin to a Republican officer, Alexandre Bourbon, was followed by a major restoration campaign for the château and its gardens. In 1804, a bird's-eye view plan was drawn up showing the estate at that time (it is reproduced on the palisade).
Around 1880, the marriage of the last of the Bourbon family to Count Georges Le Bault de La Morinière gave rise to a new restoration campaign for the château and gardens. In 1942, widowed because her two surviving grown-up children had no children of their own, Madame de La Morinière donated the Boistissandeau to the community of the brothers of Saint-Gabriel to establish a training centre. It was converted into a retirement home in the 1970s.
In 2003, the Vendée Department acquired Le Boistissandeau and set up a family home in the north wing for disabled adults and their ageing parents. In 2024, the Communauté de Communes du Pays des Herbiers took over the site, continuing the restoration of its heritage and developing its regular and nourishing gardens.

The Chapel :

Built in the 17th century, the château chapel is a Baroque chapel whose roofs (bell tower, belfries) still remain. Enlarged after 1950 by the brothers of Saint-Gabriel to accommodate around fifty novices, it was then fitted with historiated stained-glass windows recounting the great hours in the history of Le Boistissandeau.

THE DOMAINE DU BOISTISSANDEAU, THROUGH THE BALUDIK TREASURE HUNT:
The Boistissandeau estate can be discovered through the Baludik fun trail game:
According to legend, Gabrielle, a dreamer with a passion for nature, and Alexandre, a loyal soldier, fell deeply in love in the Boistissandeau garden. Can you find the symbols of their love and help Gabrielle and Alexandre find each other again forever?
Game starting from the Château du Boistissandeau car park.
Enjoy a fun walk with your smartphone to explore the history and heritage of this place.
Allow around 1 hour to wander around the site.
How can you take part?
Download the Baludik application onto your smartphone (free application available on Iphone and Android).
Go to the château car park
Make sure your phone battery is full before starting the game.
Use the clues to find your way
The route is about 1.5 km long.