The castle of Terre Neuve
National Monument
In Vendée at the entrance
of Fontenay-le-Comte called "Fontaine et source de beaux esprit",
by Francis I during the Renaissance, you cannot fail to notice the
castle of Terre-Neuve built at the very end of the XVIe century
Terre-Neuve was the work of an artist and a poet at the same
time.
The architect Jean Morisson built it for the poet Nicolas Rapin
who was also a magistrate and a soldier. Nicolas Rapin was a disciple
of Cujas and of president de Harlay, vice seneschal "de robe courte
du Bas Poitou", and a great provost of the French Connetably.
He fought with Henri IV during several campaigns as in Arques
and Ivry. Nicolas Rapin was also a poet and he wrote verse in
French, in latin and in Greek. In his poems, he went easily from
very futile themes to the deepest concerns. His best title remains
his collaboration to "La satire Ménippée"
Nicolas Rapin received in Terre-Neuve famous intellectuals of
the Renaissance, friends such as Sully, Aggrippa d'Aubigné,
François Viète, Jean du Fouilloux, Tiraqueau...
He died in 1608 and as none of his nine children outlived him,
the castle was forgotten and then bought by missionnaries.
During the XIXth century, the Count de Vassé who was the
mayor of Fontenay-le-Comte and a deputy of Vendée, bought
the castle.
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His grandson Octave de Rochebrune,
born on April 1st, 1824 and dead on July 7th, 1900; was the artist
who transformed from 1840, the poet's house, which had become his,
by addition of several pieces coming from many other castles.
As a famous sculptor and etcher, he had several architectural pieces
set in Terre-Neuve, especially pieces coming from the castle of
Coulonges-les-Royaux wich had fallen into ruin.
He had not yet finished his studies in the Collège Stanislas
in Paris when a drawing representing the apes of Notre-Dame de
Paris, allowed him to be known in 1845 at the Great drawing Exhibition.
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In 1848, he left Paris and went
back to his native Vendée, and there, he married Miss Du
Grelier du Fougeroux who supported him during his artistic career.
As he was ignoring exhibitions,
he transformed his castle into a real museum with old furniture,
objet d'art and original collections of valuables.
To add sculptor to his science and love of drawing, he did not hesitate
to handle a chisel and a setsquare for the decoration of his castle.
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Octave de Rochebrune who only knew lithographs
discovered the noble support of copper. From that moment on, he
would try and find the technique.
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Before doing his wonderful plates
of the greatest monuments of France, so well exposed in the dining-room
whose architectural beauty fits particularly. Octave de Rochebrune
made small etchings witch touch us by their poetry and their sincerity.
In 1861, he undertook a trip in Vendée in order to illustrate
the famous book "Poitou et Vendée" written by his friend
Benjamin Fillon and so let us precious documents about his province
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The famous etcher, in love with
his country and beautiful architectures would have been the "Pironèse"
of his time as it was said by Charles Meryon.
His daughter married Count Raoul Du Fontenioux and their descendants
maintain the castle now open to the public
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The castle of Terre Neuve
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