Manoir des Lauriers
ManorHidden Treasure
Manoir des Lauriers, located in Savennières (Maine-et-Loire), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Manor
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Savennières, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.3827, -0.6600
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00109349
Niché dans le vignoble de Savennières, le Manoir des Lauriers déploie l'élégance discrète du XVIIIe siècle angevin : façades en tuffeau clair, toitures d'ardoise et jardins clos d'une sobre noblesse.
History
At the heart of the Savennières appellation, one of the most prestigious in the Loire Valley, the Manoir des Lauriers stands out in this landscape of hillsides and vineyards as a refined testament to the aristocratic art of living in the 18th century. Far from the ostentation of grand residences, it illustrates a trend typical of the nobility of the robe and the Anjou bourgeoisie: building with moderation, balancing elegance and discretion, making the natural setting the true showcase for the stone. What sets the Manoir des Lauriers apart is precisely this quality of balance that can be seen in its proportions: neither too large to be showy, nor too modest to escape attention. The facades of tuffeau - the white limestone typical of the Loire Valley, easy to carve and luminous in the Anjou sunshine - glow with a golden hue in the warmer hours, changing subtly with the light of day. The dark slate roofs, an indissociable feature of Loire architecture, complete a chromatic palette that has survived the centuries without a wrinkle. To visit the Manoir des Lauriers is to immerse yourself in an atmosphere of rare serenity. The walled gardens, in keeping with the tradition of Anjou estates, offer a haven for plants, combining ornamental species and memories of ancient cultivation. The entire estate, listed as a Historic Monument since 1974, is protected to guarantee the authenticity of its volumes and materials. The Savennières area itself, bordered by the Loire and its channels, provides an exceptional backdrop. This wine-growing village, renowned for its exceptional white chenins - Coulée de Serrant, Roche aux Moines - provides the manor house with a cultural and landscape context of rare richness, where wine-growing and architectural heritage have interacted for centuries.
Architecture
The Manoir des Lauriers is in the tradition of classical 18th-century Anjou architecture, characterised by a rigorous composition and sober ornamentation that contrasts with contemporary Baroque exuberance. The façades, built in tuffeau - chalky limestone extracted from the quarries of the Loire, the preferred material of Loire builders since the Renaissance - are distinguished by their luminous whiteness and the precision of their joinery. The bays of small-timbered windows, framed by moulded architraves, punctuate the main elevation with classic regularity. The roof, covered in dark, steeply pitched Anjou slate, contributes to the chromatic contrast characteristic of Loire Valley homes: light stone and black slate, light and shade. The chimney stacks, in tufa masonry, punctuate the ridge line and bear witness to an interior layout with multiple individually heated rooms. The main building would have been complemented by outbuildings - stables, wine press and wine storehouse - arranged around an enclosed or semi-enclosed courtyard, following the canonical layout of productive manor houses in the region. The area around the manor house probably still has some old fencing - tufa or rubble stone walls - and the remains of gardens laid out according to the symmetry inherited from the French garden, simplified according to the means and tastes of an estate of intermediate size. The visual relationship between the manor house, its outbuildings and the surrounding vineyards plays a full part in the overall composition, making the landscape itself an architectural component in its own right.
Related Figures
Commanditaire angevin du XVIIIe siècle (identité non documentée), probable noble de robe ou bourgeois enrichi par le commerce viticoleMaître d'œuvre local du XVIIIe siècle, formé aux traditions constructives ligériennes du tuffeau et de l'ardoisePropriétaires successifs des XIXe et XXe siècles, gardiens du domaine viticole de SavennièresInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques ayant instruit la procédure d'inscription aboutissant à l'arrêté du 28 août 1974
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Manoir des Lauriers located?
Manoir des Lauriers is located in Savennières, Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire region, France.
When was Manoir des Lauriers built?
Manoir des Lauriers dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Manoir des Lauriers open to visitors?
Manoir des Lauriers is currently closed to visitors.
