Chateau de la Gaudiniere (Gaudiniere Castle), Nantes

Located in the northern part of Nantes, Gaudinière Castle stands at the heart of a park that has evolved from a rural estate into an urban green space open to the public. The property’s transformation mirrors the city's broader urban development. Originally a modest 16th-century estate known as “Godinière,” it was home to the Rouvres family and changed hands several times, eventually becoming the elegant Second Empire residence visible today.

By the late 18th century, the estate was owned by Louis Chaurand, a wealthy Nantes shipowner, and his wife Thérèse Honorée Libault, who acquired it in 1791. The property at that time included a house, chapel, orangery, menageries, orchards, and wooded grounds. Throughout the 19th century, it passed through the hands of several prominent families, including the Perrien and Goüin families, who enhanced it with features such as an English garden and exotic plant species like magnolias and bald cypress, reflecting the period's enthusiasm for botanical experimentation.

A significant transformation occurred under banker Jules Brousset, who acquired the estate in 1857 and commissioned landscape architect Provost to redesign the grounds. Between 1864 and 1873, the current château was built using red brick and white tuffeau stone, typical of the architectural style favored by the Nantes bourgeoisie. The park grew to 17 hectares by 1881 and still features notable specimens like a giant sequoia planted in 1864. Today, Gaudinière Castle serves as a historical and horticultural landmark within Nantes’ urban landscape.