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Jeanne de Chantal in Bourbilly: broken, but never defeated

Jeanne | Public domain / WikimediaCommons
Castle Mme de Sévigné Bourbilly castle

Did you know this castle belonged to two famous women? The marquise of Sévigné and her grand-mother, sainte Chantal!

But our story began when Rabutin family owned the estate. Jeanne-Françoise Frémyot, the future Jeanne de Chantal, married Christophe de Rabutin, baron of Chantal in 1592.

Jeanne used to manage the estate, when her husband was at war. She spent her long night with pious reading, gave soup to the poor and comforted them.

A poor man said one day that people were happy to be ill, because they knew they were cured by the nice baroness!

And when famine stroke France in the beginning of the 17th century, sick persons were more and more numerous... but Jeanne always welcomed them, and nicely cured them!

But in 1601, she suddenly became a widow: she was 28 years old. Then she met bishop François de Sales and founded with him the Visitation order, in 1610...

Her daughter, the famous writer marquise of Sévigné, loved this estate and his "delicious castle", as she wrote in one of her famous letter.

After her death, her grand-daughter, Mrs of Simiane, kept Bourbilly until 1719...

About the the author

Vinaigrette
I'm fond of strolls and History, with juicy and spicy details!