History of the Domaine du Vignau
The Domaine du Vignau is a gem of the heritage jôchérois that can be seen in the distance, from the entrance of the town of La Jonchère Saint Maurice. This building is a superb 18th century mansion opening onto a courtyard surrounded by outbuildings, including an orangery.
From the castle to the manor house over the centuries
The current house has replaced an old manor house that has been the subject of various additions over the centuries. In 1360, the chapel of Vignaud existed in a castle that is described as a fortified castle with towers and a fortified wall. In 1620, the property belongs to the family Peyrière, the Vignaud who demolished the towers and fortified walls. In 1772 the property is bequeathed to Guillaume De Léobardy, former black musketeer of the royal guard, treasurer of France in the generality of Limoges. Destroyed at the end of the 18th century during the dark hours of the Revolution of 1789, Joseph de Léobardy rebuilt the house a few years later but not at the site of the destroyed castle, a hundred meters higher. Many elements of the old house have been re-used. The building of the Orangery was the granary of the estate. The ground floor was used as a greenhouse and then winter storage for lemons and orange trees of the family hence the current name of "the Orangery". Note a nativity of the 16th century that was inserted in one of the walls of the orangery. This nativity comes from an ancient chapel, which was in a corner of the courtyard of the old Vignau under the title of Bonne Arnaude.
Our project: the restoration of the orangery of Domaine du Vigna
This building was built around 1890 and was originally intended to be a dwelling house. Built in a somewhat Anglo-Saxon style, it was instead converted into granary, which became its primary function. A dovecote was installed on the last level. The ground floor houses a greenhouse where plants flourish and bathe in a dense light filtering through the beautiful bay window. The ironwork that adorns the bay window gives it a style and a cachet of the highest order. Later, the lemon trees and orange trees of Domaine will spend the winter, giving the building the name of orangery Domaine du Vignau.
The original facades of the orangery are in a very bad condition (woodwork to replace, walls and pinion to reconsolidate, windows to replace ...). The windows and ironwork of this greenhouse of the 19th century are to be restored as well as the Nativity ("La Belle Arnaude") of the 16th century which suffered frost. The stone wall of the orchard has collapsed for some 50 meters.
When facade work is completed, interior design work will be required to insulate the building and redo the floors. We can then consider a new activity on the estate (organization of seminars or cultural exhibitions?), Complementary to our lodging, creating jobs and benefiting the local economy. While continuing to make live the Vignau!
The nativity of the sixteenth century that has been inserted in one of the walls of the orangery: the "Good Arnaude".
Inside view of the Orangery
Our goal is to restore the facades of the orangery (glazing, woodwork ...) and the perimeter wall of the orchard before it continues to collapse.
The cost of the restoration of the orangery is estimated at € 125,000. Reassemble the stone wall over 50 meters at a cost of 55,000.
Our personal contribution is 50.000 €. We are expecting financial support thanks to our participation in the next Loto du Patrimoine, but which will probably not allow us to cover all the remaining 130,000 to find. Knowing moreover that the renovation projects at Domaine du Vignau are legion given the size of the Estate, we decided to use crowdfunding.
The cost of restoration of facades can be broken down as follows:
- Main facade: 80.000 € including 50.000 € for the replacement of joinery to the identical (windows, chassis, skylights) and the glass roof.
- Rejointing of the domain side gable: 20.000 €
- Rejointing of the street side gable: 12.000 €
- Rejoining the rear side gear: 13.000 €
- Various
We wish to associate you with this beautiful challenge and you propose to participate in the financing of the renovation of joinery and glass of the main facade.
We offer the following 4 levels:
1st tier: € 10,000 - first installment of renovation (20% of all)
2nd tier: € 10,000 - second installment of renovation (40% overall)
3rd tier: € 15,000 - third installment of renovation (70% overall)
4th level: € 15,000 - third installment of renovation (total 100% of all)
If the collection of 10.000 € is exceeded, this will allow us to begin to continue the renovation of the facade of the orangery and to begin the following works.
We acquired the Domaine du Vignau in 2016, property of the family of Léobardy since 1772. Alsatian, but also of limousine strain (after the destinies of our two regions were mingled during the Second World War) and coming to spend every summer my vacation in the region of Ambazac, this imposing and magnificent Domaine, local pride, was not unknown to me. It is therefore a real crush that decided me and my wife to take the plunge, as a nod to history.
To help us restore this heritage, we decided to open a gite activity, the Domain lending itself very well. A large park, a large mansion surrounded by numerous outbuildings, an orangery, a swimming pool, stables and saddlery, many trees and flowers, a private driveway, lemon and orange trees, a laundry ... in short, a great place to rest, get resources and have a good time in lush greenery. The estate covers more than 7 hectares and is located in the heart of the Ambazac mountains which lends itself very well to green tourism.
So we quickly began major renovations to restore its former splendor. This renovation was also a real inter-generational family adventure, our children, and parents having got their hands dirty and participated in rediscovering this place and its history.
This project is fully in line with our desire to make our heritage available to local stakeholders in order to participate in the revitalization of La Jonchère Saint Maurice and Pays d'Ambazac, which are located in a rural revitalization zone. Thus, by combining heritage and economic and cultural activities will be able to perpetuate the beautiful history of the Domaine du Vignau and the family of Léobardy, who have always been major players in local dynamics and limousine in general (at the origin among others of the limo race). We have already created jobs on the estate thanks to our cottage activity and we intend to continue on this path.
It is therefore a real passion for this place and its history that now pushes us to restore the orangery of Domaine du Vignau. As such, we are proud and honored to have been selected as part of the Bern plan for safeguarding French heritage, among the 250 projects that will be supported.
You can support our project:
- by an online donation on this page, after registration and connection on www.dartagnans.fr
- by bank transfer on this page, after registration and connection on www.dartagnans.fr
- by sending a check payable to Patrimoine-Environnement, specifying your email address, to the following address:
Dartagnans
Campagne Domaine du Vignau
1 Rue de Châteaudun
75009 Paris France
https://www.francebleu.fr/info...
https://www.lepopulaire.fr/jon...
https://www.lamontagne.fr/jonc...
Réception à l'Elysée en l'honneur des 250 projets choisis par la mission Bern de sauvegarde du patrimoine
Article dans le Populaire du Centre
Our website:
Our Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/domaineduvignau
Email : [email protected]
We would like to thank each donor very warmly in advance. Your support is precious to us in order to progress in our renovations of the Domaine du Vignau. By your donation, you will allow this beautiful heritage Limousin and Jonchérois is preserved and continues to live.
