Manoir de Ban facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Manoir de Ban |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | neoclassical |
| Town or city | Corsier-sur-Vevey |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Construction started | 1840 |
| Owner | Charlie Chaplin Genii Capital (since 2008) |
| Technical details | |
| Size | 12,378 sq ft (1,150.0 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Philippe Franel |
The Manoir de Ban is a beautiful old house, or manor, in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. It sits right by Lake Geneva. This famous house was once the home of the legendary actor Charlie Chaplin. He lived here for 25 years, from 1952 until he passed away in 1977.
Today, it's a museum called Chaplin's World. It opened in April 2016 and shows visitors all about Chaplin's life and work. The Manoir de Ban is so important that it's listed as a special heritage site in Switzerland.
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Where is the Manoir de Ban?
The manor is located on the Champ de Ban Estate. This is above Corsier-sur-Vevey, a village known for its vineyards on the Swiss Riviera. The estate is huge, covering about 14 hectares (that's like 35 football fields!).
It's in a stunning area, surrounded by the Lavaux vineyards, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can also see Lake Geneva and the tall peaks of the Swiss Alps. The estate is not far from other cities like Montreux, Lausanne, and Geneva.
The History of the Manor
Building the Manor House
Before the Manoir de Ban was built, this land was a farm. You can still see an old fountain and the original farm building today.
In 1839, a man named Charles Emile Henri de Scherer bought the estate. In 1840, he decided to build a grand new house. This house was designed in the neoclassical style, which was popular at the time.
The architect who designed it was Philippe Franel. He was a very famous architect in the region. He designed many important buildings in the Vevey area, like the Clock Tower and the Trois-Couronnes hotel. Franel was a skilled carpenter too.
The manor's cellars show that wine was once made on the estate. There were vineyards where trees now grow. The house wasn't called "Manoir de Ban" until 1946. This name was given by new owners, Grafton Winthrop Minot and his wife Anne de Lancey.
Who Owned the Manoir de Ban?
Over the years, many different people owned the Manoir de Ban. Here are some of the most important owners:
- 1839: Charles Emile Henri de Scherer bought the land and built the manor.
- 1940: Wilhelm Imperatori owned the house. During World War II, his widow, Edit Imperatori, opened the house to help refugees.
- 1946: Grafton Winthrop Minot and his wife Anne de Lancey bought the manor. They were the ones who named it "Manoir de Ban."
- 1952: Charlie Chaplin purchased the manor.
- 1977: After Charlie Chaplin passed away, his wife Oona inherited the house.
- 1991: Oona Chaplin died, and her children inherited the manor.
- 2008: Genii Capital, a company from Luxembourg, bought the manor. They wanted to make sure the Charlie Chaplin museum project could happen.
Charlie Chaplin's Home (1952-1977)
In 1952, Charlie Chaplin was traveling to Europe. He was going to promote his new film, Limelight. But then, he found out that the USA had taken away his visa. This meant he couldn't go back to America.
The Chaplin family needed a new home in Europe. Charlie's half-brother, Sydney, suggested Switzerland. So, the family moved into the Manoir de Ban on January 6, 1953.
Even though the house came furnished, the Chaplins renovated it. Charlie's wife, Oona, was pregnant when they arrived. They ended up having eight children in total while living there!
Charlie Chaplin lived at the manor for 25 years. He called these his "happy years." He loved walking in the huge grounds and playing with his children. He also welcomed many famous friends, like Marlon Brando.
Chaplin also spent a lot of time working at the manor. He wrote screenplays for his films, like A King in New York. He also worked on the music for his movies and wrote his book, My Autobiography.
Sir Charles Chaplin and his wife Lady Oona are buried in the Corsier-sur-Vevey cemetery.
What Does the Manor Look Like?
The Manor House
The Manoir de Ban is a rectangular building. It has two smaller sections on the sides with flat roofs. The outside of the house is very fancy. The front door has special columns next to it. The windows have decorative frames and ledges.
Under the roof, there are small blocks called modillions. At the back of the house, there's a covered walkway called a peristyle. This walkway offers amazing views of the park, the lake, and the mountains.
After the Chaplin family moved in, the manor had 19 rooms on three floors. It had a huge living space of 1,150 square meters. In the basement, there are cellars from when the building was used for making wine. Chaplin had these cellars turned into special archives to store his original works.
The manor was beautifully decorated. It had marble floors or wooden floors and carvings on the walls. When Charlie Chaplin bought the house, it came with furniture. Some of it was very old and came from a castle in France. The Chaplin family also brought their own furniture from California.
Other Buildings on the Estate
The property also has a farm building that is older than the manor. The Chaplin family used it for staff housing, stables, and storage.
There's also a garage built around 1900. It could hold three cars and had rooms for staff upstairs. The Chaplin family had many staff members, including nurses, cooks, gardeners, and drivers.
The Manor Grounds
The Champ de Ban estate has one of the largest and most beautiful parks in the Vaud region. It covers almost 14 hectares and slopes gently down towards two streams. In the 1840s, a forestry engineer helped design the park. He planted many different kinds of trees.
The estate includes:
- A large park (6.1 hectares) with natural lawns and many old trees. These include beeches, maples, elms, spruces, sequoia, and cedars.
- An orchard, a greenhouse, and a kitchen garden. Charlie Chaplin enjoyed working in the kitchen garden.
- A courtyard, a fountain, a swimming pool, and a tennis court.
- A large forest (7.5 hectares) with mostly deciduous trees. This wooded area used to be a vineyard.
Chaplin's World Museum
Chaplin's World museum opened on April 17, 2016, at the Manoir de Ban.
The museum tour starts in the manor house. Here, you learn about Charlie Chaplin's personal life and his family. Then, you move to a new building that focuses on his public life and career. In total, the museum has over 4,000 square meters of exhibition space.
The museum also has a place for special exhibitions and events. There are restaurants and a souvenir shop. The people who created the museum worked hard to make the manor and its grounds look just as they did when Chaplin lived there. They wanted to keep the real feel of Chaplin's home.
The idea for the museum started in 2000. It became possible when Genii Capital bought the manor in 2008. The Chaplin family also gave their support. Many others helped too, including the canton of Vaud and Nestlé.
Important Dates
- 1840: The Manoir de Ban is built.
- 1952: Charlie Chaplin moves into the manor.
- 1977: Charlie Chaplin passes away.
- 2000: The idea for the Chaplin museum project begins.
- 2008: The Luxembourg company Genii Capital buys the manor.
- 2013: Construction work for the Charlie Chaplin museum starts.
- 2016: Chaplin's World museum opens on April 17.
