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2009
CHATEAU DE BARLY (Pas-de-Calais) $15,000
FHS, Boston and Atlanta Chapters
The Château de Barly is considered to be one of the most beautiful examples of Louis XVI style architecture in northern France. Its overall design, balance and symmetry defines the Neoclassical Parisian architecture of the period made of stone and slate. Around 1780, construction of the château began and continued after the owner’s death by his son, an officer of the Dragons in Queen Marie-Antoinette’s regiment. The construction of the common buildings and the chapel was likely completed during the French Revolution. On the ground floor, three arched central bay windows are crowned with sculpted garlands, as are the side pavilions. The château’s interior is remarkably beautiful and intact, particularly the wood trim and overhead doorway by the sculptor Lepage d’Arras.
FHS’s grant will assist with the restoration of the windows of the east façade.
CHATEAU DE BOURGON (Mayenne) $12,000
FHS
The major part of the château dates from the 15th century during the Hundred Years’ War and was surrounded by a lake. An important bridge spanning the moat survives from earlier 13th-century construction. Themain hall and staircase are from the 15th century; with other rooms built later. The interior of the château displays a rich library, a map room and the famous “blue room” with paintings dating from 1625. The 16th-century chapel was recently restored. A former owner of the château, Philippe-Emmanuel de Laval, son of Urbain I, married the famous Marquise de Sablé, who was part of the “Précieuses,” the celebrated 17th century literary circle of Madeleine de Scudéry.
FHS’s grant will assist with the restoration of the roof and windows.
CHATEAU DE BOURRON (Seine et Marne) $15,000
FHS, Southern California and Dallas Chapters
The Château de Bourron was built in the late 16th century in brick and stone, and serves as a wonderful example of Henri IV/Louis XIII styles. The plan of the château follows the moats that surrounded the medieval fortress. Its main façade is adorned with a horse-shoe staircase. The “brick and stone” style was initiated in 1528 by Gille Le Breton at the Château de Fontainebleau, and became typical of late 16th and early 17th-century architecture of the Ile-de- France region. In 1725, the château hosted the dethroned king of Poland, Stanislas Leszczynski, who came to France for
the wedding of his daughter with the young King Louis XV. The new Queen of France stayed at Bourron several times to visit her parents, and legend has it that she lost a diamond in the park.
FHS’s grant will assist with restoring the property's canal, which underwent a great loss of water. Its foundations, spanning a length of 560 meters, require complete restoration.
ABBAYE DE LAGRASSE (Aude) $196,980
The Florence Gould Foundation
The Abbaye de Lagrasse was one of the most powerful abbeys in Europe in the Middle Ages, and on the route linking southern France to northern Spain. It was founded in the 8th century under the protection of the Emperor Charlemagne. After a period of decline due to the Hundred Years’ War, in the 16th century the Abbey entered a period of transformation, both spiritual and architectural; the results of which combine to present a unique array of design styles ranging from the 10th to the 18th centuries in this magnificent monument. The cloister, built in 1760 in ochre sandstone, is the heart of the Abbey, and opens onto various buildings. Its round arches are supported by simple pillars and a discrete sculpted décor in ochre-coloured stone. During the French Revolution, the State seized the Abbey and the monument fell into ruin. Since 2004, it has been occupied by a congregation of monks, the Chamoines de Saint Augustin, keeping the monastic spirit alive.
FHS's grant will assist with the restoration of the 18th-century cloister, further to its previous support in 2008.
ROSERAIE DU VAL-DE-MARNE: L'HAY-LES-ROSES (Val de Marne) $5,000
Arizona Chapter
Created by Jules Gravereaux, the Roseraie du Val-de-Marne was designed in 1899 by Edouard André and was the West’s very first rose garden. A living conservatory of old roses, the Roseraie presents a chronology of exceptional collections. Scientists, botanists, rose gardeners and breeders are drawn to this unique property to meet and engage in exchanges. Visitors are enchanted by the garden’s magnificent variety of roses, their abundant colors, and rich array of scents. At the beginning of the 20th century, the garden acquired special international renown. Jules Gravereaux’s work was celebrated, and he was bestowed with numerous honorary titles. His collection included 4,000 varieties of cultivated roses and 900 species of wild roses. By 1910, he had achieved his dream of assembling all the then-known forms of the genus Rosa: 8,000 botanical species and horticultural varieties were represented, all methodically identified and classified.
FHS will assist with the restoration of the Roseraie's 'théâtre de verdure.'
CHATEAU DE L'HERMENAULT (Vendée) $15,000
Atlanta Chapter
The château is the former residence of the bishops of La Rochelle and Maillezais. During the Renaissance period, Mgr. d’Estissac, Bishop of Maillezais, was charmed by the priory in L’Hermenault and transformed it into a summer residence. Rabelais and his secretary resided there; and according to popular belief, he sent plane trees from Rome to L’Hermenault. During the Wars of Religion, L’Hermenault and Maillezais were burned and when Richelieu conquered the city of La Rochelle from the Protestants, he transferred the bishopric there. During the 17th century the new bishop returned to L’Hermenault and decided to have the abandoned château restored by the architect Bartélémy Gilles and to create an extraordinary park on the model of Italian villas. The different buildings form a harmonious complex on the platform overlooking the park with an outstanding perspective from the 17th-18th centuries. The four 110 meter long terraces overlook the Longèves river, laced with canals and the prairie shaped in a semicircle.
FHS's grant will assist with the restoration of banks along the Longèves river, which runs through the estate.
CHATEAU DE JOSSELIN (Morbihan) $15,000
FHS and Dallas Chapter
The history of the Château de Josselin dates back to the beginning of the 11th century when the fortress and surrounding town were built. With its three majestic towers and flamboyant Gothic style, the château is a remarkable example of feudal and Renaissance architecture. The interior façade reveals extraordinary granite lacework. During the 17th century in a religious war, Henri de Rohan, General-in-Chief of the Calvinists, rebelled against the royal power. As punishment, Cardinal de Richelieu had the Josselin fortress sacked in 1629, destroying the keep and many of its walls. The interior of the château was restored in the 19th century in Neo-Gothic style. The French garden was created at the beginning of the 20th century by the landscapist Achille Duchêne. The château is still inhabited and maintained by the Rohan family to this day.
FHS's grant will assist with the restoration of masonry of the isolated tower damaged by vegetation.
CHATEAU DE LOYAT (Morbihan) $15,000
FHS, Philadelphia and Washington Regional Chapters
This early 18th-century château exemplifies pure Louis XIV style, with barely any modification. The château and its park date from 1707-1730. They were built by a local architect for the Vicomte de Loyat, Counselor to the Parliament of Brittany and nephew to the celebrated Admiral of Louis XIV. The design of the 150-hectare park, in the style of Le Nôtre, features successive terraces and a series of streams, ponds and majestic alleys radiating from the château. The current owners have strong Franco-American ties. Their ancestors took part in the first surveys of New Orleans for the King in the 18th century, and their uncle was President of the French branch of the Society of the Cincinnati before being succeeded by his son. The family has formed a cultural association dedicated to the French historic presence in America in view of creating a museum at the château.
FHS’s grant will assist with the restoration of the plaster of the central part of the south façade.
PRIORY OF MAYANNE (Sarthe) $15,000
FHS, Philadelphia and Northern California Chapters
The present priory church dates from the 12th century, and in its peaceful, rural setting, stands as an exceptional legacy of medieval religious architecture. This former monastic complex is remarkable for its medieval hall, dormitory, magnificent carpentry work, Romanesque chapel and 15th-century barn. By the prerogative of Pope Innocent III, Saint Martin’s Church became the possession of a Benedictine congregation in 1204. During the 13th and 14th centuries, the priory church was an important court of justice. During the Hundred Years’ War it was occupied by the English. After the turmoil of the war, the priory church was once again a site devoted to religious activity. During the French Revolution, the domain was sold as a national property and divided into two parts. The priory was abandoned and mainly used for agriculture. When the current owner acquired it in 1972, the priory’s buildings were in extremely poor condition, run down by two centuries of neglect and abandon.
FHS’s grant will assist with the restoration of the chapel.
CHATEAU DE NEUVILLE (Yvelines) $15,000
New York Chapter
The construction of the Château de Neuville dates back to the late 16th century. The geometrical shape of the château is remarkable with its low buildings arranged on a pentagonal plan with square towers in the angles and surrounded by large moats. At that time, only an old manor and a dovecot surrounded by watery moats existed. In 1601, another owner completed the park and added bubbling streams. In 1753, part of the château was destroyed in a fire. A major restoration campaign then followed which, in eliminating its defensive elements, transformed the château’s appearance. The entrance wing and central pavilions had been destroyed and the two wings facing the entrance were made symmetrical. During the Revolution, the château was sold as a National Property.
FHS’s grant will assist with the restoration of the southwest façade of the château giving onto the park.
ABBAYE DE ST. MARTIN DE MONDAYE (Normandy) $15,000
FHS and Paris Chapter
The Order of the Canon of the Prémontré, founded in 1120, coincides with the foundation of the Cistercian, Chartreux and Camaldules Orders. At that time Saint Norbert settled in the Saint-Gobain forest, at a site called Prémontré, giving its name to the Order. The Order, which follows the rule of Saint Augustus, flourished and 100 years later counted 600 abbeys in the west, including in Brittany, Scotland, Italy, Poland, Cyprus and the Holy Lands. The present complex of buildings, which form the monastery, dates from the early 18th century (abbey-church, cloister, refectory, chapter house, monks’ cells, farm and convent buildings). Comprised in a classic harmony of styles, it stands as an exceptional architectural and decorative representation of religious heritage from the period. The work was overseen by father Eutashe Restout, who was also an architect and painter from a prominent Norman family. Due to its close proximity to the D-Day Landing Beaches, it was the first French abbey to be liberated during WWII. In 2009, the Abbey will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the return of the religious community, which now counts 44 monks.
FHS's grant will assist with the restoration of the wooden double-door gate of 'La Porterie' on the west wing.
CHATEAU DE LA ROCHE COURBON (Charente-Maritime) $20,000
New York Chapter
During the Renaissance, this austere fortress was transformed by Jean-Louis de Courbon into an elegant 17th-century residence. At the same time, the main wing of the building underwent important transformations that embellished the château: the drawing-room with painted wood paneling dates from this period, as does the Louis XIII room with painted wood beams, and the Saintongeaise (territory of Saintes) kitchen. In 1920, the château and its gardens were saved from abandon by Paul Chénereau who undertook a vast restoration campaign continued by his descendants. It is due to the devotion and perseverance of three successive generations of this family that the château and its gardens have been preserved and restored. FHS members were received for dinner at the château during its 25th Anniversary trip to the region.
FHS’s support, in addition to its previous grant in 2006, will assist with the restoration of the vault and roofs of the 17th-century northern commons. This element is essential to preserve the stability of the entire château.
BOULLE CATALOGUE RAISONNE $25,000
FHS
A catalogue raisonné will be produced in conjunction with the major forthcoming exhibition: Boulle - A new Style for Europe, the first retrospective ever to be held on André-Charles Boulle, the most celebrated cabinetmaker of all time. The exhibition will bring together important works from more than 20 international institutions and private collections, many of which have never before traveled or been seen in public: including paintings, tapestries, bronzes and mounted porcelain, which created a new aesthetic, and became a European model for centuries to come. This much anticipated exhibition will debut in October 2009 at Richard Meier’s landmark museum in Frankfurt, Museum Für Angewandte Kunst.
FHS's grant will assist in the English translation of the catalogue raisonné.
MUSEE ROSETTE ROCHON (New Orleans, LA) $10,000
FHS and Napa Valley/Sonoma Chapter
Built in the mid-1820s, what will become the Musée was once a Creole cottage belonging to Rosette Rochon, a woman of French and Haitian ancestry. Rochon amassed a fortune over her lifetime as a New Orleans real estate speculator, landlady, and owner of several grocery stores in the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny. At the time of her death in 1860, she left an estate worth the equivalent of $1 million, and the distinction of having succeeded in a male dominated society as an illiterate Creole woman of color. The Musée Rosette Rochon is slated to be a major historic house museum and educational center for Marigny and the adjacent French Quarter, Tremé, and Bywater neighborhoods. This early antebellum home is an important early example of the transition between Creole and American styles. New Orleans has no museum devoted to the legacy of the city's antebellum free Black population, which was once by far the wealthiest in the United States. The museum will be dedicated to the study and understanding of the culture, style, and life of free people of color, and how they contributed to the development of New Orleans.
FHS’s grant will assist with the restoration of the property’s structure.
2008
CHATEAU DE LA BARBEN (Bouches du Rhône) $30,000
New York Chapter
Constructed on a steep cliff not far from Aix-en-Provence, the medieval Château de La Barben, with its towers, turrets, and suspended terraces, blends harmoniously with the impressive natural surroundings. Architectural elements typical of a medieval fortress are combined with later additions from the 17th and 18th centuries giving the château a unique austerity and classicism. The history of the castle was marked by the turbulent events that unfolded in Provence during the course of the centuries. In 1474, the castle was awarded by King René of Provence to Jean II Forbin. The Forbin family played an important role in the unification of Provence with the Kingdom of France, and their motto “You made an Earl of me. I make a King of you” is prominently displayed. In the 19th century, the painter, Marius Granet, who was born in Aix-en-Provence, wrote: “La Barben is the most ancient and picturesque château in Provence.” In 1963, the Marquis de Forbin sold the property to M. André Pons, the father of the current owner.
FHS’s grant of $30,000 will assist to restore the vaulted room beneath the double staircase and to return the windows at the base of the façade to their original state.
CHATEAU DE DINTEVILLE (Haute Marne) $30,000
Atlanta and Palm Beach Chapters
The Château de Dinteville in the Champagne Ardennes region was built in the 16th century around a 13th-century keep and is surrounded by large moats. After the Dinteville family became extinct in the 17th century, the château was bought and restored by the Chevalier Le Brun. The estate has remained in that family since 1703. The extensive park and the Orangerie, where palm trees were conserved during the winter, were designed at the beginning of the 19th century. The Orangerie, built of stone with a slate roof, rests against a hillside and faces south to capture maximum light and heat. High arched doors open onto a terrace overlooking the garden. The interior of the Orangerie, a large room of more than 600 square feet, has 12-foot high ceilings. The owners plan to restore the Orangerie to its original use as a shelter for palm and orange trees in the winter and to organize exhibitions and concerts in the space during the summer. The roof has previously been restored.
FHS’s grant will provide funding to help reconstruct the stone walls and windows.
ABBAYE DE FONTFROIDE (Aude) $30,000
Washington Regional Chapter
The Abbaye de Fontfroide, near Narbonne, is a perfect example of a medieval monastic community as conceived by Saint Benedict and later reformed by Saint Bernard. The 12th-century church, cloister, and chapter house are superb examples of Romanesque Cistercian architecture at its finest. The broken barrel vault of the nave rises to a height of 60 feet. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the abbots and priors rebuilt several of the other buildings. Terraced gardens were laid out, and a large gate was added to seclude the community from the outside world. The property, a classified historic monument since 1843, has been privately owned since 1908. An impressive library was installed in 1910 with the participation of the Symbolist artist Odilon Redon who painted two panels.
FHS’s grant will be applied to the restoration of the south apsidal wall and of the roof of the treasury.
SAINTE-MARIE D’ORBIEU ABBEY, LAGRASSE (Aude) $30,000
Southern California Chapter
The Abbaye de Lagrasse, located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region near Carcassonne, includes structures dating from the 10th to the 18th centuries. In the 14th century, the current church and its fortifications were built. The monumental tower that overlooks the entire compound was added in the 16th century, while the principal courtyard, the monk’s dormitory, and the cloister were added in the 18th century. The handsome cloister, the heart of the Abbey, unites the various buildings. Stylistically, the cloister combines elements of Benedictine spirit with the sobriety and spirituality of traditional Cistercian architecture. Round arches are supported on simple pillars with subtle sculpted decoration that is enhanced by the ochre stone. During the French Revolution, the State seized the abbey and displaced the monks; for one hundred years, the monument fell into ruin. Since 2004, a congregation of monks, the Chamoines de Saint Augustin, has occupied the Abbaye de Lagrasse keeping the monastic spirit alive. Restoration is urgently needed to establish safe conditions for public visits to the site.
The restoration of the 18th-century cloister is planned under a multi-year contract with the DRAC (French Ministry of Culture) through 2012. FHS’s grant will assist to support urgently needed work to ensure safety conditions of the abbey, which is open to the public. The first phase will focus on the bays of the eastern wing.
CHATEAU DES ORMES (Vienne) $15,000
Arizona, Paris and Philadelphia Chapters
In 1729, the Comte d’Argenson, Louis XV’s Minister of War, bought the barony of Ormes. Subsequently, as a consequence of a conflict with Madame de Pompadour, the King’s mistress, Argenson was obliged to leave the Court and retired to the Château des Ormes, which soon became a prominent meeting place for philosophical, literary and artistic exchanges. The château is composed of three pavilions in local white stone, an inner courtyard, several outbuildings and a farm. Seven buildings date from the 18th century, while the central pavilion dates from the 19th century. In the 18th century, a marble statue of Louis XV by Pigalle was erected in the central courtyard along with seven British canons presented by the King himself after the Battle of Fontenoy. In 1769, Marc-René d’Argenson, the Minister’s son, worked with the architect Charles de Wailly to reconstruct the central pavilion in Italianate style with a Doric colonnade. In the 19th century, this central pavilion was again rebuilt by the architect Coulomb to be more harmonious with the two remaining 18th-century pavilions, giving the château its present appearance.
FHS will provide a grant to assist restoration of the roof of the château’s ‘Pussort Wing.’
CHATEAU D’OSTHOFFEN (Bas-Rhin) $15,000
Dallas and Northern California Chapters
The Château d’Osthoffen near Strasbourg occupies a site that was part of the Roman system of fortifications constructed to hold back the Germanic tribes after the conquest of Alsace by Julius Caesar. The fortress was built and rebuilt many times, and each century has left its mark. Today, the structure is dominated by two Renaissance pediments in a harmonious Rhineland style, while the main body of the building features large 18th-century French windows replacing the original smaller ones.
FHS will provide a grant to assist in urgent restoration work required to shore up the fragile Roman wall and to rebuild it on a solid foundation.
CHATEAU D’AINAY-LE-VIEIL (Cher) $25,000
The Château d’Ainay was originally built by the Bourbons in the 12th century on the site of a Gallo-Roman villa. In the 14th century, Louis de Sully constructed the massive octagonal walls surrounded by a moat that we see today. The fortress withstood many sieges during the Hundred Years War. In 1467, Ainay was acquired by Charles de Chevenon, Seigneur de Bigny. In 1500, the medieval keep was replaced with a gracious early Renaissance structure. The elegant sculpted ornaments illustrate the transition from Flamboyant Gothic to Renaissance style. Additions were made to the château in the 17th century and large water gardens were created. The present gardens were created 20 years ago on the site of the former gardens from the 17th and 19th centuries. Ainay has remained in the same family, the Bigny’s, ancestors of the current owners, for nearly seven centuries. Marriages have brought connections to other important historical figures (Colbert, Queen Marie-Antoinette, Emperor Napoleon I), souvenirs of whom are preserved there.
FHS pays tribute to Marie-Sol de La Tour d’Auvergne with this grant to restore the sculptures of the East façade of the Renaissance wing of the château.
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