Saint-Georges-sur-Loire – Castle of Serrant

Location

Off the French national road RD 723, 49170 Saint-Georges-sur-Loire, France.

Location

Off the French national road RD 723, 49170 Saint-Georges-sur-Loire, France.

Figure 18 – The Castle of Serrant can argue to be the official residence of a Prince to the present day, Prince De Mérode, as well as historically the most Jacobite of all castles along the Loire Vallee. It was purchased by Antoine Walsh in 1748 for his brother François. The castle survived every conflict to this day, from Revolutions to World Wars. Do not miss the opportunity to visit the splendid and extensive library that has an original Jacobite painting on display framed above the fireplace. It was commissioned in 1755 by the Walsh family in remembrance of their support to Prince Charles Edward Stuart during the Jacobite uprising.
Figure 19 – Expanded view of the portrait in the Castle of Serrant entitled “Landing of Prince Charles Stuart in Scotland” (1755).

Located in Anjou, 50 miles east of Nantes, the Castle of Serrant was the residence acquired by the Walsh family in 1748 after the failure of the last Jacobite rebellion. Antoine Walsh was a fervent Jacobite who provided Prince Charles Edward Stuart with a ship bound for Scotland, the Du Teillay on 3 July 1745 (N.S.) and helped to procure weapons, ammunition and supplies for his quest. Antoine Walsh himself accompanied the Prince to Scotland, his ship laying anchor in Loch Nan Uamh on 25 July 1745 (O.S.). On 7 August 1745 (O.S.), the Prince handed over several letters to Antoine Walsh before the departure of the Du Teillay on 8 August. After Prince Charles Edward Stuart was rescued and brought back to Brittany in October 1746, the Walsh family commissioned a large painting in 1755 portraying Antoine Walsh receiving those very letters from the Prince on the shore of Borrodale in Loch Nan Uamh, in the Moidart area of Lochaber, in the Scottish Highlands. The painting was commissioned to commemorate Antoine Walsh’s unflinching support to Prince Charles Eduard Stuart. The Walsh family had the painting especially framed with the arms of England, Scotland, and Ireland as a tribute to the Stuart dynasty. The large painting, which has been registered with the French Monuments Historiques since 2019 can still be seen today above the fireplace of the magnificent library of the Castle of Serrant.

Access

Opening hours for guided tours. Request the library as a supplement to the guided tour to admire the painting of Prince Charles Stuart and Antoine Walsh.

Website

https://www.chateau-serrant.net

Contact

https://www.chateau-serrant.net/en/contact-chateau-de-serrant. Tel: 00 33 (0)2 41 39 13 01

Area of interest
1745 Antoine Walsh painting Prince Charles Edward Serrant