Château de Goulaine

On the outskirts of Nantes, for a thousand years the Château de Goulaine has been the residence of the same family. This Loire valley Renaissance monument also bears invaluable testimony to 17th-century architectural wealth, as is evident in its elaborately decorated salons. From the 15th-century kitchen to the King Louis XIV chamber that hosted the sovereign in 1661, the visitor is promised a journey in the maelstrom of French history following in the footsteps of a prestigious family.
At the outset of its history, the Goulaine family château was a powerful fortified castle, perfectly protected by surrounding marshlands. In the 12th century the edifice was located in the Marches de Bretagne (present-day Brittany), which formed a border between the Duchy and the Kingdom of France. In 1158 the genealogical elder of the celebrated family, Jean I of Goulaine, was named Captain of the city of Nantes.. The Goulaines were first and foremost Breton seigneurs at the service of the Duchy of Brittany. Even though some vestiges of a fortified 12th-century past have remained visible, in the late 15th century the medieval edifice gave way to a magnificent, perfectly conserved Renaissance corps de logis (main building), of which the construction was initiated by Christophe II of Goulaine.

In 1621, King Louis XIII conferred to the family the prestigious status of marquisate, which attested to its close relations with the centers of power. A fact rare enough to be emphasized is that with the exception of the period between 1788 and 1858 when the Château de Goulaine was temporarily the property of the Dutch shipowner Deurbroucq, Goulaine has continually belonged to the same family.
Up until 11 November 2019, in the one-time stables dating back to the 17th century, Goulaine is hosting the LU collection, consisting in 60 articles related to the biscuit factory founded in Nantes in 1846 by the Lefèvre-Utile family: furniture, posters and other forms of advertising. These different collectibles immerse the visitor in the exceptional adventure of Jean-Romain Lefèvre, at once a talented baker and a prescient visionary communicator, and his wife Pauline-Isabelle Utile.
Listed since 1913 as a historic monument and registered as part of the historic heritage of the city of Nantes, the château of Goulaine is a private monument that has been home to no less than 30 generations. Following 50 years of restoration, it has been opened to the public by a family intent on valorizing this treasure trove of Nantes history. The château also offers the possibility of a sojourn in the heart of history in one of its chambres d’hôte (guest rooms), and receptions can be organized in areas having remained in their original condition.