In Normandy, near Caen, there is a 15-hectare estate housing an 18th-century castle, surrounded by a French-style garden, chartreuses, and a lush English garden that has retained its features. Since the 18th century, the descendants of Elie de Beaumont have strived to preserve and pass on the values of Château de Canon. Now known as the Mézerac family, they have opened their place to the public and use the castle and its estate for numerous activities such as receptions, tours, and cultural events. Under the leadership of Marguerite de Mezerac, an ancestral expertise that has always been present at the castle is reinvented: flower cultivation, but in a more sustainable manner with the creation of an entirely new floral farm.
3 ideas
Of construction
The castle, built in two phases during the 18th century, first in 1728 by Sir de la Rocque, who erected a central single-level pavilion. The second phase took place in 1760 under the initiative of Jean-Baptiste Elie de Beaumont, who added another level and gave it the appearance of an Italian palace with a balustrade adorned with sculpted vases.
The physiocrat added immense outbuildings on either side of the castle, housing a whole range of facilities aimed at achieving self-sufficiency for the estate: a farm, chartreuses (small farmhouses), vegetable gardens, a communal oven, an orangery, a cider press, and more. Despite their utilitarian function, the composition was designed with aesthetic harmony, typical of the dominant style of the 18th century, giving coherence to the entire complex of buildings. Additionally, in 1775, a social aspect was added by creating the "fête des bonnes gens" (festival of good people), a grand celebration of Virtue held in the reception hall specifically intended for this purpose on the estate. This two-day festivity gathered the local community every year.
Around this ensemble, Elie de Beaumont developed a French-style park across the entire estate, including one of the earliest English-style parks, which still retains its original structures.
Marguerite de Mézerac
In the 21st century
The de Mézerac family, direct descendants of the Elie de Beaumont lineage, continue to uphold the fundamental values initiated by their ancestors while adapting them to the modern era. This involves preserving and restoring the buildings to their original 18th-century state, as well as maintaining and enhancing the gardens. With 27,000 visitors per year, including 4,000 school groups, the idea of sharing is highly present. Raising awareness and transmitting knowledge about the architectural and botanical heritage to as many people as possible is considered a duty here.
As for the reception hall originally used for the "fête des bonnes gens" (festival of good people), it is now utilized for receptions such as weddings and seminars organized on the estate. The concept of preserving traditions while embracing contemporary uses demonstrates the family's commitment to keeping the heritage alive and relevant in the present day.
Flowers
A Step Towards Self-Sufficiency
The project for this year 2023 has been the creation of a floral farm in the location of the old vegetable gardens. By establishing her own collection of flowers, Marguerite is offering a more local and sustainable alternative to provide flowers for the weddings held at the castle. Moreover, by selling the flowers for receptions or to passing visitors, this cultivation contributes to the economy of the estate and helps preserve this traditional expertise. Through this initiative, the de Mézerac family takes another step towards achieving self-sufficiency and maintaining the timeless heritage of Château de Canon.
This approach is a very interesting solution in the sustainable management of the estate, which, as we recall, must be balanced across the following four pillars: Cultural, social, environmental, and economic. The economic activities of the castle, including events, weddings, and tours, being profitable, allow the estate to confidently focus on developing the environmental aspect. The concept of the floral farm cleverly addresses this challenge by offering a more sustainable alternative to a widely used product on-site (cut flowers), thereby potentially generating a small economic profit in the future. Ultimately, it also highlights and preserves an ancestral cultural savoir-faire.
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