Photo : PHILDIC / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Château de Bionnay
The château de Bionnay is at Lacenas, in the Rhône, north-west of Lyon. It is known today mainly for its park and gardens, labelled Remarkable Garden since 2011.
The park, of about five hectares and dating from the early nineteenth century, houses century-old trees and yews. There you find a terraced Italian garden and small rose gardens, gathering more than three hundred varieties of old roses.
At the end of the twentieth century, several owners followed one another, including, in 1994, the inventor and industrial artist Philippe Bally. For about fifteen years, the current owners have been restoring the castle and its park to make it a place devoted to the garden and the art of living. The site is discovered by visiting the gardens, whose opening dates should be checked with the estate.
