Gazing upon Château de La Bussière, imagine a 16th-century drapier’s wife, Constance Deÿ, ascending its newly built belvedere. Her husband, a Lyon cloth merchant, had expanded their old fortified house, Grange Deÿ. Constance had performed a service for King François I. The grateful king rewarded her by commissioning improvements to her home. The Château de La Bussière we see today echoes this royal touch. In the early 18th century, a country house replaced the old structure. Gardens flourished, adorned with fountains. A dovecote arose in the southwest corner, shaping the estate we now admire. The current Château de La Bussière buildings form an “L” shape. Its west façade showcases a Renaissance flair. The Deÿ family’s legacy continued. Mathieu Durand bought Grange Deÿ in 1650. He and his wife, Anne Royet, added woodlands and land, later sold to the canons of Saint Paul. Their daughter, Andrée, married Lambert Rouvière in 1712. The Château de La Bussière’s story took a romantic turn when their daughter, Jeanne Marie Rouvière, married Paul I Gayot Mascranny de la Bussière in 1738. Her dowry? Grange Deÿ, which was then renamed Château de la Bussière, after her young husband. The French Revolution threatened the château, but Paul II Gayot Mascranny’s popularity with the Oullins residents saved it. They secured his release and spared the estate. The Gayot Mascranny family held onto Château de La Bussière until 1889 when Amélie Gayot Mascranny de la Bussière died without heirs. The house stood empty until World War II, when it sheltered locals in its cellars. In 1953, Château de La Bussière was transformed into a lighting factory and showroom. Finally, in 1999, Grand Lyon purchased the estate and ceded it to Oullins. Today, Château de La Bussière stands renewed, a testament to its rich past and a vibrant part of Oullins’ future.
Hôtel de Cuzieu
Question. What stories could these walls tell? Right here we are standing before the Hôtel de Cuzieu at 30 rue