Last of the grand châteaux of the Loire downstream of the royal river, the Château de Serrant is a private inhabited monument, at once a testimony to history and a convivial site where numerous activities take place year in and year out. It presents a varied and valuable set of furnishings and objects, starting with a library with sturdy oak bookshelves containing remarkable rare tomes, for example the first complete edition of l’Encyclopédie of Diderot and D’Alembert, and the Fables of la Fontaine illustrated by Oudry. Whether unaccompanied or participating in a guided tour, the visitor to this Anjou castle will enjoy discovering rooms seemingly suffused with the memory of illustrious personalities. While the Empire chamber recalls the passage of Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte in 1808, the prestigious Duchess chamber evokes the more recent visit of the Queen Mother of England in 1981.
The château of Serrant was built starting in the 16th century by the Brie family, which called upon an Anjou architect and Renaissance specialist, Jean Delespine. Unfortunately, financial difficulties brought construction work to a halt and led to the sale of the château, which was reacquired only in 1636 by Guillaume Bautru, who resumed building activities exactly as proposed in the original plans; the work was pursued by his children and grandchildren throughout the 17th century.
One of the added edifices was a majestic chapel, fruit of the combined labors of the renowned Versailles artists Hardouin-Mansart, Le Brun and Coysevox. The Château de Serrant was finally completed in 1720, two centuries after construction started.
In 1749, the fully furnished estate was sold to a family of Irish origin, the Walshes. Subsequently ennobled as Counts of Serrant, during the French Revolution they safeguarded the château. In 1820, Théobald Walsh de Serrant built an English-style park, which exists to this day. Having married Valentine Walsh, the Duke of La Trémoïlle inherited the château. During the 1890s, his son undertook major renovations: rearrangement of the rooms, installation of modern-day creature comforts… While interior decoration was redesigned, the original furniture remained.
At this time, Serrant remains occupied by descendants of the La Trémoïlle family, and they continue to ensure preservation of an exceptional heritage site. Year after year, they strive to interest persons of all ages in their historic showpiece through animated tours, either recounted or dramatized, in the morning or the evening, general or specialized (on decorative arts and furnishings, for example). And children will enjoy the traditional, not-to-be-missed special events: role play festival, treasure hunt, egg hunt, Halloween…
Photo gallery of Château de Serrant
Visits
- Free individual visits
- Guided individual tours
- Average duration of the individual visit : 2h
- Groups welcome from 20 people
- Free group tours
- Guided group tours
- Guided group tours on request
- Group educational visits
- Average duration of the group visit : 1h30
- Pets are accepted
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Available languages
- Parlées : French, English
- Panneaux : French, German, English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch
- Audio : English, French
Activities
- Specific themed events
- Workshop for children
Opening time
Monday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Tuesday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Wenesday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Thursday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Friday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Saturday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Sunday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Monday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Tuesday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Wenesday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Thursday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Friday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Saturday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Sunday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Monday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Tuesday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Wenesday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Thursday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Friday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Saturday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Sunday | 09:45 AM - 05:15 PM |
Prices
Full adult price : from € 10.00 to € 14.00 Selon choix visite guidée ou non
Children's price : from € 5.50 to € 5.50 Gratuité - de 7 ans
Discounted rate : from € 7.50 to € 11.50 Selon choix visite guidée ou non
Further information
Payment method
- Credit card
- Cheques and postal orders
- Holiday vouchers
Access
- Road (national / local)
- Motorway at 11 km
- Airport / aerodrome at 30 km
- SNCF train station at 8 km
- Bus station at 1,5 km
Services and equipments
- Shop
- Wifi access
- Picnic area
- Bar cafeteria tea room
- Equipped conference room