Photo : Electzik / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Le parc et château du Bois d'Orcan
Built in the 14th and 15th centuries, Le Bois Orcan, at Noyal-sur-Vilaine in the Ille-et-Vilaine, is a reference site for the medieval period. Listed as a historic monument, the estate reflects the way of life under the Valois. Julien Thierry, treasurer to Duke François II and then to Duchess Anne, acquired it in 1475 and gave the site its present splendour. Its restoration, under way without interruption for 26 years under the chief architect of historic monuments Alain-Charles Perrot, is regarded as one of the finest private restorations in France.
The château holds a rare collection of medieval furniture, including some of the oldest surviving pieces of the period. The medieval garden, recreated on its original site by the landscape architect Alain Richert, is labelled 'Jardin Remarquable'. The chapel in the upper courtyard has stained glass by the contemporary artist Claude Viallat, a founding member of the Supports/Surfaces group. The estate also presents L'Athanor, a museum and sculpture park, also labelled 'Jardin Remarquable', devoted to Étienne-Martin, a major 20th-century artist.
