contents - AMORC

8
The Château Building
Situated in a seven-hectare estate, the château
is built of stone, and one can enter the ground
floor by ascending a short flight of steps.
There are three floors topped by a slate roof.
Each wing is extended with a small enclosed
courtyard surrounded by handrails, including
the outbuildings and a chapel. At first glance,
one does not realise that for three quarters of
a century, this château remained unfinished,
for only the pavilion and right wing had been
built in 750. The left hand structure without
a chimney was erected during the reign of
Louis-Philippe ( 830- 848). The whole section
built in the 8 th century has retained its original
wooden panelling. The armorial bearings of the
Le Carpentier family were a blue shield with
two silver carps shown back to back; and at the
top of the shield, was a red stripe decorated with
three golden spur rowels. Interestingly enough,
the visible coat of arms on the north and south
façades has no connection with these armorial
bearings.
Inside the château, the old music room
displays beautiful waxed wood panelling, giving
it an intimate atmosphere. There is also an
Aubusson tapestry reproducing the fine episode
of Lancret’s painting entitled Old Age, which
is now on display at the National Gallery in
London. The marble fireplace is fully fitted with
cast-iron plates, the old-fashioned way. Almost
every fireback plate in the château is decorated
with bas-reliefs in keeping with the symbolism
of fire. A small boudoir adjoining the old music
room is decorated with wooden panelling from
the royal Château de Saint-Hubert, the property
of Madame de Pompadour, whose grace pervades
the premises.
The next lobby assumes the octagonal
shape of the central part of the château. Two
huge corner cupboards suggest that this was
once used as a dining room during winters. Also
outstanding are the period paintings inlaid in
wood panelling above the fireplaces and doors.
Below, the “blue” kitchen, named thus
because its walls are completely covered
with Dutch delftware, once had a huge
chimney. Nowadays, the brasses bequeathed
by Jeanne Guesdon are kept in this kitchen
which remains as a witness to the history of
the château.
The Rosicrucian Beacon -- September 2006
The old library on the 1 st floor.
The first-floor library also has oak
panelling. The emblems of Mercury and Minerva,
symbolising commerce and the arts, are carved
on the four walls, most certainly the work of
journeymen. The elaborate parquet floor of an
office on the first floor dates back to the 8 th
century and comes from an old château in the
province of Touraine. The floor’s combination
of oak and mahogany is most unusual, and a
Maltese cross, made of four different woods,
dominates its centre.
So much for the past life of the château
itself, which is now registered as an historical
monument and whose aura will always bear the
stamp of the Rosy Cross.
Outbuildings
Other ancient outbuildings complete the
architectural ensemble dating back mainly to
the 8th century. One of these house Diffusion
Rosicrucienne, the catalogue sales section of the
French Grand Lodge. It aims primarily at making
Rosicrucian thought better known through its
publications. Up to now, about fifty books have
been published and this growing collection
includes not only great Rosicrucian classics, but
also a number of more recent books resulting
from the work of members of the Rose Croix