The Chateau history
History
In the early 18th century the estate was acquired by a local landowner and dignitary, who lived in a nearby castle. History has it he commissioned the development of the large property for his mistress, and it was said that he had an underground tunnel built connecting the house to his castle, so he could make his furtive visits without being seen. The French Revolution saw the destruction of the building when it was badly damaged by fire in 1789 along with many other fine buildings, in what was then the affluent South West Region of France.
Monument
The turn of the 19th century saw the rise in popularity of hot air ballooning as a passtime for the rich. In 1827 the wife of a wealthy personality from Mont de Marsan, died when her balloon crashed into the trees in the grounds of the property. Her widower, a Monsieur Guitou, bought the land around the site of the accident and commissioned the construction of the existing chateau in her memory. A keystone above the main front entrance is inscribed 1827 the date of the reconstruction. He also erected a monument at the actual site of the crash which still stands today and marks the burial place of his late wife.
Stained Glass
In 1894 the then owners of Chateau Le Guiotu commissioned and installed a stained glass window on the half landing between the ground and first floors. The window was designed and created by G.P.Dagrant, a renowned painter and glass maker from Bordeaux, who specialised in commemorating religious and historical events, in stained glass and whose work can be seen in churches and buildings of importance all over Europe. The window is still in place today and depicts a somewhat gruesome tableau.
