El "Château" de Antoine d'Abbadie en Aragorri, Hendaia. Una obra de E. Viollet le Duc

Abstract

Following a frequent practice of the French nobility at the time of Napoleon III, Antoine d'Abbadie and his wife Virginia de Saint Bonnet, built a Neo-gothic palace whose references to mediaeval art were intended to commemorate their families' splendid past. After a series of failed projects by architects Clément Parent and Josephe Magne, the chateau of Hendaye was finally built by Eugene Viollet le Duc with the help of his assistant Edmond Duthoit. This building reflects both the characteristic style of the architect and the personality of its landlord. In this sense, the Arabic decorations and the paintings with Ethiopian themes allude to the owner’s journeys to Africa, the Irish motifs refer to his country of birth, etc.