LES FOLIES SIFFAIT

From 1817 onwards, Maximilien Siffait, owner of La Gérardière in the commune of Le Cellier, set about developing a plot of land that was totally unusable but had a magnificent view over the Loire. On this rocky spur overlooking the river at a height of almost 70 metres, he had an astonishing garden built, with terraces leading down to the riverbank. The monumental nature of the site, the labyrinthine architecture embellished with niches, turrets and staircases, the colours and the trompe-l’œil made the garden a veritable “folly” in the eyes of the public and particularly in the writings of the authors of the tourist guides of the time, intended for boat trips along the Loire. This name will remain associated with its creator. In 1836, Oswald Siffait, son of Maximilien Siffait and a member of the Société nantaise d’Horticulture, had a renowned collection of rare trees planted in the park around the château and in the terraced garden. At the end of the 19th century, the site was sold and gradually abandoned, with the result that vegetation, some of which was very dense, developed independently of any human intention. Today, this enveloping nature contributes to the poetic atmosphere of the garden. The 3.33 hectares of the Jardins des Folies Siffait form part of the natural zone of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest (ZNIEFF) of the “coulées et côteaux de Mauves et du Cellier” and has been listed as a Historic Monument in the “parks and gardens” section since 1992. Since 2007, the site has belonged to the Loire-Atlantique department, which is responsible for its conservation and promotion to the public. ———————————-INFORMATIONS PRATIQUES————————————— The Jardins des Folies Siffait have been closed to the public since 2024. A digital discovery tool is available on the Jardins des Folies Siffait website to compensate for the temporary closure of the site and its inaccessibility for people with disabilities.Visiting languages:French
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