About | Chateau de la Couronne

Our Story

AND THE HISTORY OF CHÂTEAU DE LA COURONNE

Château de la Couronne is more than just a wedding venue—it’s a family-run labor of love, combining design, hospitality, and a shared passion for creating unforgettable celebrations. Siblings Lucy and Ben proudly own and run the business today, after transforming the château into the luxury destination it has become.

The story began in 2022 when their parents, Andrea and David, discovered the château while relocating from Portugal. Already an established wedding venue, it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring the family together for Lucy and Charlie’s wedding, while also creating a long-term home for a new business venture. With Andrea and David’s support and the family’s background in design and renovations, nine months of extensive work brought fresh life to the property.

Today, Lucy and Ben lead the château with creativity, vision, and passion. As equal partners, they have built a business defined by warmth, style, and unforgettable experiences—where every wedding reflects their love of design, fine food, and celebration.

And then there’s Maisie, the château’s resident Cavachon, who takes her role as chief greeter very seriously. Always ready for cuddles or a walk in the gardens, she brings joy to everyone she meets (though she’s equally happy to take a little holiday if you’d prefer her not to join your stay).

The Renovations
2023 - 2024

Having purchased the château in April 2023, the family has overseen a significant renovation that has revitalized the property. Over the span of 9 months, they invested over 1 million in updating the château, including new flooring on the ground floor, unveiling natural stone walls, and installing a new ceiling in the banquet hall. Their background in interior design shines through, with the château now adorned with crystal chandeliers, elegant furnishings, and regal accessories.

The third floor, which had been unused since the 1980s and still featured cubicles from its school days, along with the second floor, has been transformed into 9 spacious and luxurious bedrooms, all with plush furnishings, new carpets, and air-conditioning.

The previous owners’ apartment overlooking the château has been reimagined as 'The Coach House' with a kitchen, living room, dining room, and 5 bedrooms. Their former office space has been renovated into 'The Garden Suite,' which now includes a wet room, sitting room, and two bedrooms.

The gardens have been meticulously manicured, while retaining their magical charm. The original 12th-century ponds now feature new water elements. The gardens bloom with an array of flowers and trees, including climbing roses, hydrangeas, conifers, and willow trees, while ornate planters and urns bring added elegance to the spaces. A grand stone fountain graces the courtyard, and the pool area has been expanded and re-tiled, surrounded by lush palm trees.

The History
12TH - 21ST CENTURY

The Château de la Couronne dates back to the 12th century, founded by The Lady of La Couronne, a prominent abbey situated in what is now a suburb of Angoulême. Although the abbey still stands as a charming ruin, the estate experienced significant damage during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), a conflict that, somewhat ironically, lasted 116 years.

In 1449, young nobleman Bertrand Farinard acquired the estate. Bertrand, a Varlet in Marthon training to become a Knight, passed the estate to his daughter, Louise Farinard, as a dowry when she married Mathieu de Chambes, Lord of Vilhonneur, in 1564. Vilhonneur, a village between Marthon and St. Sornin, became Mathieu's possession as was customary at the time.

By the late 1600s, the Chambes family still owned the estate, with Marie de Chambes as the sole heiress. The chateau was set to change hands again through marriage when Marie wed Jean-Pierre Chaigneau, passing the estate to their son, Charles.

In 1767, the château was sold to brothers François and Jacques de Viaud, and later passed through inheritance to the Modernard and then the De Fornel families.

In the late 1800s, the De Fornels undertook a major remodel to give the château a more formal and imposing appearance. They added turrets, changed the tower's roof to a crenelated profile, and replaced the traditional Charentaise roofs with slate, resembling the classic châteaux of the Loire Valley. The De Fornels also created formal gardens with yew alleys, installed basins with fountains, and introduced many rare and exotic trees to the landscape.

The château remained peaceful until World War II, when Germany divided France into the Occupied Zone and the Vichy Zone. The château, located in the Vichy Zone, housed French troops, with their commanding officer setting up in what is now the guest bedroom in the Garden Suite.

The château changed hands several times before being converted into a residential training centre known as the Centre de Formation in the 1970s. It also functioned as a summer camp. Filmmakers Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano who spent their childhood at summer camp, shot their film "Nos Jours Heureux" at the château who later achieved international acclaim with their film "The Intouchables."

The chateau was taken on in the 1990's by Mark and Nicky Cooper along with their two young children, who began its restoration and created a successful business hosting weddings and offering holiday lets.