Built in 1770 by Joseph Charette de Briord, the château is a remarkable witness of the neo-classical architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries, protected as a Historic Monument since 1980.
The château of Briord was built in 1770 by Joseph Charette de Briord, on the site of a former medieval seigneury of great importance. Of the original châtellenie, we can still contemplate the defensive system consisting of deep moats crossed by an access bridge, built in the mid-fifteenth century by Pierre Landais, treasurer and very close counsellor of Duke Francis II of Brittany.
The present château, set at Port-Saint-Père, at the heart of the Pays de Retz, between Nantes and Pornic, is a remarkable witness of the neo-classical architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries. The charm of its symmetrical, uncluttered lines and its sober ornamentation of elegant mascarons have earned it recognition as one of the loveliest "Nantes Folies".
Spared during the many conflicts that have marked the history of France, the Château de Briord was nevertheless plunged into the revolutionary turmoil and that of the terrible Vendée wars that ravaged the region until the Empire.
The château of Briord overlooks a vast estate of more than 53 hectares composed of forests, gardens, orchards and farmland. This exceptional environment benefits from the ZNIEFF Type 1 classification, bearing witness to its remarkable character.
The château of Briord is built on 4 levels totalling more than 1,200 m² under the roof and over a cellar. The building materials used naturally come from the neighbouring regions: granite for the foundations, schist for the structural work, tuffeau for the façade and decoration, slate for the roofs.
The château has been protected as a Historic Monument since its listing in 1980. It was awarded a prize for its interior decoration on the occasion of the 1900 World's Fair. All the original interior décors have been preserved and reveal an ensemble as authentic as it is rare.
The "Terre de BRIORD" project, of which the château is a major element, aims to restore the soul of the place and its occupants by offering a true immersion in the French art of living of the 18th and 19th centuries.