Château de Mottechaix

The Château de Mottechaix (the name meaning “oak mound” or “small motte”) is a 19th-century château located in the commune of Vertou, in the Loire-Atlantique department of the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It stands on a hillside overlooking the Sèvre Nantaise.

The estate originally belonged to the Bonvalet family, natives of Vertou, and was heavily damaged during the French Revolution. At the end of the 18th century the former seigneurial manor was acquired by Jean-François Bonvalet (1727–1795), a ship captain and privateer. In 1813 his widow Marie Couturier transferred the house to their daughter Rose Anne (1772–1818) and her husband Jean-Baptiste Le Cour Grandmaison (1759–1861).

Their son Jean-Baptiste Charles, a Nantes shipowner, completely rebuilt the residence around 1850–1860 in the form of an elegant neo-classical villa accompanied by a landscaped park with wide views over the countryside. He expanded the estate to approximately 30 hectares so that it adjoined the property of his brother Adolphe at La Boissière. Because of the proximity of the Sèvre and frequent flooding, the living quarters were placed on the upper floor; the gallery and courtyard both give access to the hillside. The buildings are arranged around a closed courtyard.

The château is typical of the 19th-century pleasure villas built by the Nantes bourgeoisie. It remained in the Le Cour Grandmaison family until the heirs sold the property in lots in 1992. It is not classified as a Monument historique and remains private.