Château de la Barbée, Monument historique inscrit in Bazouges-sur-le-Loir, France.
Château de la Barbée is a three-storey building with a light tan facade, grey stone quoins at the corners and a steep dark grey roof with brick chimneys and dormer windows, including a triangular pediment above the middle three windows. The upper floors have rows of tall rectangular windows with grey shutters, the ground floor arched openings with matching shutters, and a stone balustrade balcony spans the centre above the entrance. It has two square floors and an attic floor under hipped roofs, built from the late 18th century by architect Prosper Simon of La Flèche.
The castle was built in the late 18th century to replace a 15th-century structure that previously occupied the site. Major modifications to the exterior occurred during renovations in the 1820s, reflecting architectural trends of that period.
The chapel, partly built of rendered rubble and cut stone, has a gable roof and a false barrel vault ending in a cul-de-four. The estate's name comes from the Barbée family line, and the property passed to politician François de La Bouillerie, whose direct descendants still own it.
The château is a private residence belonging to the descendants of François de La Bouillerie, so there is no general public access and no guided tours. The building, chapel, orangerie, farm, gardens, moats, park walls and washhouse have been classified as monuments historiques since 28 October 1991. Views of the west facade and its clock pediment are from the estate avenues, including the avenue du Mail.
The château has belonged to the direct descendants of François de La Bouillerie, a French politician, since he acquired it. The property passed down through the same family line, which explains why the ensemble of chapel, orangerie, farm, moats and avenues survived intact and was classified as a monument historique on 28 October 1991.
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