Château de Brégançon
In 1914, Hermann Sabran passed away without descendants. He bequeathed his property to his nephew, Francis Sabran, who had married Marguerite Gérard in 1894. Marguerite’s parents were the owners of Château de Léoube. Francis, in his turn, passed on Brégançon to his only daughter, Marguerite Sabran, who married Georges Tezenas in October 1916.
From 1940 to 1944… Fearing a possible landing in Provence, the Château was successively occupied by Italians and then the Germans from 1940 to 1944. In 1944, The Germans left Brégançon, leaving ruins in their wake. The chapel, which housed ammunition, was destroyed, causing damage to the Château. Georges Tezenas took on the task of renovating the property and constructing a new chapel in 1947. Since then, two generations have succeeded one another with the firm determination to develop wine production. In 1955, Georges Tezenas earned the distinction of Cru Classé classification, and his son Jean François Tezenas introduced new grape varieties.
Nowadays… Olivier Tezenas is advancing the development of this exceptional site, notably by constructing a new wine cellar. With respect for the terroir, he is guiding the estate towards Haute Valeur Environnementale and subsequently Organic certification for the 2020 harvest. Today accompanied by his son Albéric Tezenas, the 8th generation, they passionately craft authentic wines each year, blending elegance and refinement.
BAIE DE BRÉGANÇON
Brégançon … What could be the origin of this name?
The word is likely related to the Gallic term “briga” used in the Ligurian language to designate a high location. The ligurians were the first to settle on the French Mediterranean coast, where they constructed several relay posts. One of these was Pergantium, which evolved into Briganconia. “Briganconia” later transformed into “Breganson” and eventually became Brégançon. But why did our ancestor, Simon Sabran (1774-1835), decide to settle in this small part of Provence, a piece of land overlooking the Golden Islands? Here, the hills of the Massif des Maures protect this small coastal area, and access is challenging. Despite the region being arid, it is well-suited for local vegetation and adapted crops. The estate spans 1030 hectares, featuring 2000 olive trees, 600 fig trees, 2000 mulberry bushes, wheat, and 75 hectares of vineyards. This is what Simon Sabran acquired in 1816.
HÉLÈNE CHAPPON & HERMANN SABRAN
Unfortunately, the Sabran family was unable to retain ownership of the estate. In 1837, Mr. Auguste Chappon, a Marseille-based shipowner, acquired the property. This occurred during the mid-19th century, a time when demonstrating success through the ownership of noble land and property was highly esteemed. For a shipowner, what could be better than this open bay facing the estate, stretching from the limits of the Domaine de Léoube to the west, to the foothills of Cap Bénat, bounded to the north by the first hills of the Massif des Maures?
Georgine Chappon and her husband initiated a comprehensive renovation, culminating in 1854 with the Château and farm as we know the property today. The Italian style was highly fashionable during that period. This interlude, when Brégançon was no longer in the Sabran family, was relatively short-lived. In 1869, Hermann, the grandson of Simon Sabran, married Hélène, the only daughter of the owners, Auguste and Georgine Chappon.
RENÉE SABRAN, GIENS
In 1874, Hermann and Hélène welcomed a daughter named Renée, who tragically passed away at the age of 8 due to bone tuberculosis. As a lawyer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hospices Civils de Lyon, Hermann aspired to construct a hospital in Brégançon for children afflicted with the same illness, in memory of his daughter. However, the challenging access roads made it impractical to transport patients all the way from Lyon, leading Hermann to reconsider Brégançon for this purpose. Undeterred; he acquired an estate in Hyères, on the Giens peninsula, where he could build his hospital. The first stone was laid on October 22, 1889, and the hospital was officially inaugurated in 1892. It was named after Renée Sabran, in loving memory of his daughter. In 1889, for practical reasons, Hermann purchased an 18-meter Englisg yacht named “L’Iris” which he used for frequent journeys between Brégançon and Giens. Even today, the Renée Sabran Hospital is renowned for the quality of its care in the fields of post-traumatic rehabilitation, bone surgery, and cystic fibrosis. It continues to be a part of the Hospices Civils de Lyon.
OLIVIER TEZENAS DANS LES VIGNES
In 1914, Hermann Sabran passed away without descendants. He bequeathed his property to his nephew, Francis Sabran, who had married Marguerite Gérard in 1894. Marguerite’s parents were the owners of Château de Léoube. Francis, in his turn, passed on Brégançon to his only daughter, Marguerite Sabran, who married Georges Tezenas in October 1916.
From 1940 to 1944… Fearing a possible landing in Provence, the Château was successively occupied by Italians and then the Germans from 1940 to 1944. In 1944, The Germans left Brégançon, leaving ruins in their wake. The chapel, which housed ammunition, was destroyed, causing damage to the Château. Georges Tezenas took on the task of renovating the property and constructing a new chapel in 1947. Since then, two generations have succeeded one another with the firm determination to develop wine production. In 1955, Georges Tezenas earned the distinction of Cru Classé classification, and his son Jean François Tezenas introduced new grape varieties.
Nowadays… Olivier Tezenas is advancing the development of this exceptional site, notably by constructing a new wine cellar. With respect for the terroir, he is guiding the estate towards Haute Valeur Environnementale and subsequently Organic certification for the 2020 harvest. Today accompanied by his son Albéric Tezenas, the 8th generation, they passionately craft authentic wines each year, blending elegance and refinement.
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