it was giving a short series of concerts at Fontenay-le-Comte and at Les Sables d'Olonne that began in 1974 that led William Christie to discover the byways of the Vendee. Living firstly in a house that was part of the bishopric of Lucon, he eventually settled in the Logis de la Petite Coudray. It was here, in 1977, that his ensemble Les Arts Florissants was born.
In 1985, while out for a drive around the area, William Christie glimpsed, at the other side of a river, an imposing, regal building. The harmony between the building and its surrounding was such that the structure seemed to be growing out of the earth itself. Approaching more closely, he realised that the house was abandoned. He was able to look around inside and there discovered some astonishing architectural details - not least a collection of magnificent fireplaces that clearly dated from the construction of the house. It was love at first sight, and several weeks later he had bought it. It was the first house William Christie had owned. He saw ahead of him a lifetime's mission to bring life and soul back to this, his new home.