Chateau de la Preuille
Chateau de la Preuille is an eleventh century castle at Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay, one of the oldest châteaux in the Loire Valley.
This old feudal residence took its present form in the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. The wide moat defending the northern aspect of the walls and towers indicates its origins as a stronghold. In 1832, Marie-Caroline of Bourbon, Duchess of Berry, visited the château to launch her coup against King Louis-Philippe in order to crown her son Henry comte de Chambord, the last legitimate Bourbon. The coup failed and Marie-Caroline of Bourbon was arrested.
From 1350, the castle was owned by the family Boux, Bastard, Gastiniere, Pâris, knight and lord of Soulanges and through the late 18th century, D’Nacquart. During the 20th century, the castle was abandoned and was left in a state of disrepair. It was saved and restored by the Fradin family in the 1970s and 1980s. Renovation was continued by the family Ribow between 2003 and 2019.
