Château de la Rivière

The Château de la Rivière is a private historic residence located at 10 Rue du Château in Mouzeuil-Saint-Martin, in the Vendée department of the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It stands on the heights overlooking the Vallée de la Corde, at the edge of the Marais Poitevin.

The domain combines remains of an earlier château from the 15th–16th centuries with a more elegant 19th-century residence. Surviving elements of the older building include parts of a keep (donjon) and a 15th-century chapel, which the current owner restored after it had been converted into a garage. Local tradition records that Henri IV stayed at the earlier château during the siege of Fontenay in 1587.

The property is particularly noted for its park, landscaped by the present owner, Denis Charpentier (who acquired the estate in 1998). The park is divided into several distinct areas: a formal French garden (jardin à la française), an English-style garden with century-old and bicentennial trees, an exotic garden, undergrowth, woods and meadows. The variety of species gives it something of the character of an arboretum. The owner has expressed the wish to obtain the official “Jardin Remarquable” label.

The château and park remain private. Guided tours of the park (and occasionally of the older parts of the buildings) are offered on selected dates, notably during the national “Rendez-vous aux Jardins” (early June), the European Heritage Days (September), and some summer events or special occasions such as concerts and exhibitions.