2019 Press Pack Château De Vullierens
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GARDENS AND SCULPTURES 2019 PRESS PACK CHÂTEAU DE VULLIERENS Contents 3 History 4 The gardens 12 The sculptors 22 The wines THE ESTATE –LIVING HISTORY THE GARDENS– UNIQUE IN SWITZERLAND In the Bovet de Mestral family for over 700 years Over 30 hectares 24 Café des Jardins A magnificent 18th-century construction 400 varieties of iris, the largest collection in Europe, 100 hectares of grounds plus daylilies, roses, tulips, peonies, rhododendrons… 25 Portes des Iris 8 hectares of vineyard producing 4 wines : Chasselas, 7 themed gardens 26 The Gift Shop Pinot Noir, Gamaret-Garanoir, Gamaret-Garanoir Rosé Themed walks : roses, centennial trees, architecture 27 Visitor information PRESS ENQUIRIES: THE LOCATION– BEYOND COMPARE ART – AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE Sophie Bertorelli : 20 minutes from Lausanne, 40 minutes from Geneva 72 contemporary artworks 021 869 88 80 Views onto Lake Geneva, the Alps and Mont Blanc 19 sculptors [email protected] The largest collection in Switzerland Some unprecedented in Switzerland Nicole Kate Roduit : Monumental sculptures 076 509 34 33 [email protected] LE CHÂTEAU DE VULLIERENS - 2019 PRESS PACK - CHATEAUVULLIERENS.CH 2 HISTORY A family heritage, part of Swiss history THE FIRST CHÂTEAU Through marriage and inheritance, Vullierens ing, must have found the new architecture to Château de Vullierens presents a fine exam- remained with the de Colombiers then went her liking as she stayed, and went on to give ple of the architecture of its period, not a sin- The first record of the parish of Willerens, to the Allinges, until 1665 when it was giv- her husband 11 children. gle alteration having been made to its exterior part of the barony of Cossonay, can be traced en to Henri de Mestral by sovereign decree. Naturally, such an event didn't go unnoticed since it was completed in 1712. Even the lay- back to 1228. In 1308 Pierre de Duin was Since then, the estate has remained with the among the other ladies of the region. They out of the different rooms is unchanged. It is granted permission to build a fortified house de Mestral family and its direct descendants. too were little enamoured of the uncom- also one of the few remaining illustrations of with dwellings on the land, becoming its first The father of the current owner inherited the fortable fortresses where they spent their an authentic eighteenth-century seigneurial lord. This imposing fortress, similar in struc- Château in 1950 from his mother, Georgina days behind heavy walls, in rooms where residence, still with its period tapestries and ture to Château de Vufflens, was dominat- Bovet de Mestral. The Château as it stands daylight barely penetrated. And so, circa furniture. Indeed, Gabriel-Henri de Mestral ed by a square tower with machicolations. today was built by Gabriel-Henri de Mestral, 1706, Gabriel-Henri de Mestral called on stipulated in his will that the Château's fur- On his marriage to Guillermette de Duin, comrade-in-arms to Abraham Davel, who the same architect to draw up plans to trans- nishings were not to be dispersed. Guillaume de Colombier took possession of was born in Pampigny in 1670. form Vullierens – with the condition that Château de Vullierens remains the de the fortress, and the land remained the prop- certain features of the feudal castle remain, Mestral family home and is therefore not erty of their descendants until the family line namely three towers (one was demolished open to the public. was extinguished in the sixteenth century. In THE CHÂTEAU TODAY in the 1900s to open up the view onto Mont 1421 Vullierens became a banneret seigno- Blanc), that part of the ramparts supporting ry, part of the bailiwick of Vaud, and was giv- Towards the end of the seventeenth century, the present-day terrace, and the outbuild- en to Henri de Colombier, lord of Vufflens. news that a "little Versailles" was being built ings. The rest was demolished and the stone in the region spread like wildfire. Legend has reused for the new building, which was fin- it that when Charles de Chandieu's beautiful ished in 1712. French wife set eyes on the dark and dank Equal care was afforded to the inside of the 700 castle intended as her future home, she Château. Tapestries were commissioned years in the same family turned on her heels and swore she would re- from the prestigious Aubusson workshops turn only when a new Château, comparable in France. Craftsmen from China were em- to those of France, had been built. Anxious ployed to create exquisite wallpapers. The to please his bride, Charles ordered that the decoration for one of the wood-panelled 100 old fortress be demolished and the pres- salons was also executed by Chinese artists. hectares in total ent-day Château de L’Isle built to drawings Another salon was lined with beautifully em- by a student of Mansart. His wife, on return- bossed Cordoba leather. LE CHÂTEAU DE VULLIERENS - 2019 PRESS PACK - CHATEAUVULLIERENS.CH | HISTORY | THE GARDENS | THE SCULPTORS | THE WINES | CAFÉ DES JARDINS | PORTES DES IRIS | THE GIFT SHOP | VISITOR INFORMATION | 3 36,000 400 bluebells along the bridle path camassia 24,000 398 irises flowering in May varieties of iris and June 300 14,000 years, the age of the tulip tree late-blooming tulips and the Sequoia 13,500 250 SWITZERLAND'S daylilies flowering in June and July rhododendrons flowering in May 2,000 200 MOST SPECTACULAR roses flowering in June and July peonies flowering in May GARDENS 700 135 The Château's quiet splendour and the enchantment of its magnificent white and blue alliums varieties of daylily gardens together form one of the country's most remarkable heritage sites. The sumptuous gardens, unequalled in Switzerland, are framed by stunning views of the Alps, Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva, and are certain to delight garden enthusiasts together with admirers of art 400 48 and architecture. metres of bridle path varieties of rose As well as one of the most modern iris collections in Europe with almost 400 different varieties, visitors can enjoy the regularly renewed land- scapes of the different areas throughout the thirty hectares (75 acres) of grounds. Between May and July, 50,000 flowers create a glorious 400 30 mosaic of colour, with more than 8,500 late-blooming tulips, a col- narcissus hectares of gardens lection of peonies and rhododendrons, and an impressive rose garden. LE CHÂTEAU DE VULLIERENS - 2019 PRESS PACK - CHATEAUVULLIERENS.CH | HISTORY | THE GARDENS | THE SCULPTORS | THE WINES | CAFÉ DES JARDINS | PORTES DES IRIS | THE GIFT SHOP | VISITOR INFORMATION | 4 THE FIRST IRISES year. Come 1955, she decided to open the tions were constantly updated – no doubt garden to the public. indulging her own passion at the same time ! Since 1955, visitors have been welcomed to Over the course of the years, with each new Indeed, each trip back to the United States the private gardens of Château de Vullierens season Doreen Bovet continued to assemble became a pretext to purchase elite new vari- for the Floralies Iris Festival. what she insisted would be the only collec- eties selected by the most reputable growers. The first five varieties of iris were planted in tion of its kind, acknowledged by specia- On Doreen Bovet's death, Gabrielle 1950 by Doreen Bovet, wife of Dr Bernard lists as one of the largest and most modern Martignier took charge of the gardens un- Bovet de Mestral and mother of the anywhere in Europe. She placed orders til her retirement in 2004, after more than Château's present owner. Strolling through with the leading hybridisers, and not just seventy years at the Château. Helped by Vullierens' magnificent iris gardens, amidst in Switzerland. She was, for example, a re- Dr Bovet and his assistant Lucy Mercier, her such a blaze of colour, it's hard to imagine gular customer at Schreiner's, a renowned future successor, she learned how to create this was once nothing but wheat. Such a Swiss grower doing business in Oregon. hybrids. The Principality of Monaco even spectacular transformation is all down to She imported American varieties that were featured two of the dozen or so new vari- Doreen Bovet. Armed with boundless ener- unknown in Europe, and acclimated them to eties she introduced to the gardens on its gy, patience and determination, she turned their new environment. postage stamps. an ordinary field into a stunning garden and More than ever, innovation and diversity a true work of art. are the hallmarks of Vullierens. Daylilies are A native San Franciscan, in 1953 she came THE FIRST FLORALIES among the plants that now flourish in the up with the idea of planting the grounds gardens. These lovely perennials tolerate around the Château with her favourite Doreen had entrepreneurial flair too. She both drought and humidity, and are just as flowers. She started small, choosing twelve launched the first Floralies to help fund the happy in partial shade as they are in full sun. varieties including, aptly enough, Iris cost of maintaining the gardens and, real- They are resistant to disease and flower in California. Little by little she added to the ising the importance of keeping pace with abundance. Some 13,500 of these wonderful displays, introducing new varieties each modern tastes, ensured the flower collec- daylilies have been planted in the gardens. LE CHÂTEAU DE VULLIERENS - 2019 PRESS PACK - CHATEAUVULLIERENS.CH | HISTORY | THE GARDENS | THE SCULPTORS | THE WINES | CAFÉ DES JARDINS | PORTES DES IRIS | THE GIFT SHOP | VISITOR INFORMATION | 5 THEMED GARDENS Over the past decade, the present owner has DORIANNE'S GARDEN put new energy into developing the gardens by creating distinct areas within the grounds, and This garden was created in 2006 on a ter- diversifying the collections with roses, tulips, race at the foot of the Château, and has no peonies, rhododendrons and other blooms.