Malouinière de la Ville Bague, Private historic mansion in Saint-Coulomb, France.
Malouinière de la Ville Bague is a pale stone mansion with a dark slate roof, built in 1715 by Guillaume Éon in Saint-Coulomb. Its symmetrical facade has a central white door flanked by tall windows, six ground-floor windows, smaller upper windows and three dormer windows in the roof. Two tall stone chimneys stand on the left of the roof and one on the right, behind a lawn and trimmed shrubs.
Guillaume Éon, nephew of Julien Éon, had the malouinière built in 1715 for a family of wealthy Malouin merchants with trading posts as far as Cádiz. A more modest manor already stood on the site; its dovecote, chapel and walls date from the late 17th century. The estate passed through the Éon, Magon and Penfentenyo families, and the marquis de Cheffontaines became owner in 1789.
The grand salon's panoramic wallpaper, made in 1820 by the Dufour et Leroy manufactory, depicts the Arrival of Pizarro among the Incas, including the Festival of the Sun at the Temple of Cuzco. It was hung at the request of the Marquis de Cheffontaines and his wife on their return from exile, sold in 1972, recovered on the art market in 1976 and restored with the help of a complete copy held by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The furniture is period, with a collection of corsair weapons.
The malouinière is a private property and can only be visited by appointment. Visitors should arrange their tour in advance rather than arriving unannounced, and confirm the meeting point with the owners before travelling to Saint-Coulomb.
The square dovecote was built at the end of the 17th century as an orangery, since Julien Éon was not yet ennobled; the dovecote was the main privilege of the nobility. The chapel Sainte-Sophie, built in 1690 and consecrated in 1695, is semi-enclosed with two entrances, one for the Éon family and one for the villagers of Saint-Coulomb.
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