Tag Archives: Langeais

The Secret Châteaux of the Loire Valley – Langeais, Villesavin, Montpoupon & Beauregard

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First published in The Good Life France

My top ten châteaux and castles in the Loire Valley are the four “Cs” – Chenonceau, Chambord, Cheverny and Chaumont – followed by the royal castles of Amboise and Blois, all of which are located in the same general area, then Azay le Rideau, Ussé and Villandry, which form another geographical group, and Valençay, out on its own.

Chenonceau, undoubtedly the most beautiful of all the châteaux
Chenonceau, undoubtedly the most beautiful of all the châteaux

But there are many others, all with different appeal, that are well worth a visit. Langeais is a royal castle and fortress, while Villesavin, Montpoupon and Beauregard are châteaux.

Royal Castle of Langeais

The Royal Castle of Langeais, built in 1465 by King Louis XI, is an excellent example of a late mediaeval fortress, with a drawbridge in working order and a parapet walk with stunning views open to visitors.

The rear façade of Langeais
The rear façade of Langeais

The interior furnishing is typical of the period, with sculpted wooden chests and fine tapestries. Fifteen wax figures give a lifelike representation of the secret marriage of Charles VIII and Anne de Bretagne in 1491 when Charles was 21 and Anne only 16.

A wedding pageant at Langeais castle
The secret marriage of Charles VIII and Anne de Bretagne

A large park behind the château offers an excellent view of the Loire and even has (reconstructed!) mediaeval scaffolding. In the summer, pageants are often performed and we were lucky enough to witness a simulated wedding between a young lady called Raoulette and a man whom she had never seen, chosen by her upwardly mobile parents for his wealth.

You can have tea and cakes or a light lunch at La Maison de Rabelais just opposite the castle. It’s also a bakery and patisserie. 2 Place Pierre de Brosse, 37130 Langeais, France
+33 2 47 96 82 20

Château de Langeais (25 min from Tours, 1hr 15 from Blois, 15 mins from Villandry)

Open: February & March 9.30 am to 5.30 pm, April, May, June, September, October to November 11, 9.30 am to 6.30 pm, July & August, 9 am to 7 pm, November 12 to 31 January, 10 am to 5 pm, December 25, 2 pm to 5 pm.

Prices: Adults, 9 €, aged 18 to 25, €7.50, aged 10 to 17, €5, children under 10, free.

Château de Villesavin

Château de Villesavin, which isn’t really a castle, is an hour’s ride on horseback from Château de Chambord and was actually a glorified worksite hut built at the beginning of the 16th century by Jean Le Breton who was François I’s minister of finance and in charge of the construction of his “hunting lodge”.

The front façade pf Villesavin
The front façade pf Villesavin

The inside of the building isn’t particularly interesting, except for the “try-out” for the monumental staircase at Chambord and the kitchen, which has a few original features. Photographs of the interior are not allowed, unfortunately.

Far more interesting is the 19th century wedding museum with its large collection of wedding dresses, headdresses and globes!

Wedding globes
Wedding globes

In the grounds there is well-preserved dovecote with a spiral ladder and 1,500 dove cells. A second museum  contains horse-drawn carriages and a large number of children’s carriages. The annual chocolate fair is held duringthe third weekend in October.

There is a gastronomic restaurant nearby called Restaurant l’Agriculture, Le Bourg, 41250 Tour en Sologne, 02 54 46 45 10 http://www.hotelrestaurant-agriculture-41.com

Château de Villesavin,  41250 Tour-en-Sologne (17 km de Blois, 9 km de Chambord et 6 km de Cheverny)

Open: March 1 to May 31, 10 am to noon and 2 pm to 7 pm (closed on Thursday in March); June 1 to September 30, 10 am to 7 pm every day; October 1 to November 15, 10 am to noon, 2 pm to 6 pm (closed on Thursdays in November).

Prices: Adults including guided tour + grounds + wedding museum €8, grounds + wedding museum €6, aged 10 to 16, €6.50 & €4.50, aged 6 to 9 €4.50, free under 6.

Château de Montpoupon

Château de Montpoupon, just 10 minutes from Château de Chenonceau, is an excellent example of what can be done to make a small family château attractive to the public. A recorded conversation between a young girl and her father, for example, is used to take the visitor through the living and dining rooms and King’s Bedroom downstairs and the family bedrooms upstairs.

fMontpoupon as you see it from the approach
fMontpoupon as you see it from the approach

Initially a mediaeval castle built by a Germanic clan at the time of Charlemagne, it has been converted over the centuries into a château. The towers from the original castle are 13th century, the main block is 15th century but built in a somewhat older style,  and the gatehouse 16th century.

The extensive 19th century outbuildings contain several exhibitions relating to the Hunt, which was and still is, one of the main activities of the various owners down the centuries.

The lovely collection of Hermes scarves at Montpoupon
The lovely collection of Hermes scarves at Montpoupon

In particular there is a large display of Hermès scarves which were originally an integral part of the hunting scene.  A most enjoyable visit.

The Auberge de Montpoupon next door is open from 1st April but there are also several places to eat in Chenonceau with a view of the château, and other possibilities in Montrichard.

Château de Montpoupon (10 minutes from Chenonceau, 15 minutes from Montrichard, 20 minutes from Chambord)

Open: April to September, every day, 10 am to 7 pm. October, every day, 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm. 16 February, March and November, weekends and school holidays, 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm. Closed in January and December.

Prices: Adults €8.50, students & seniors €7.50, aged 6 to 15 €5.

Château de Beauregard

The château started off as a manor house in the 15th century and was confiscated from the owner, François Doulcet,  by Louis XII when he was found guilty of embezzlement. François I used the house as a hunting lodge before giving it to his uncle René de Savoie who sold it to Jean du Thier, Henri II’s finance minister in 1545. Work carried out between 1553 and 1559 turned Beauregard into one of the finest châteaux in the Loire Valley. A gallery and an L-shaped wing were added to the original building.

The rear façade of Beauregard
The rear façade of Beauregard

The harmonious Italianised architecture includes arcades in the gallery surmounted by terracotta medallions. Its high white chimneys “à la Chambord” are incrusted with slate. All that remains of Jean du Thier’s interior decoration, however, is the Cabinet des Grelots, his work cabinet, with its delicately sculpted caisson ceiling completed in 1554 by the royal cabinetmaker Scibec de Carpi.

The stunning portrait gallery at Beauregard
The stunning portrait gallery at Beauregard

But it was Paul Ardier, Louis XIII’s minister who was responsible for its most prominent feature. After retiring from political life, he decorated the Grand Gallery between 1620 and 1638 with 327 portraits spanning three centuries (1328 to 1643), forming the largest collection of historical portraits in Europe. They are not all works of art, of course, but the collection is impressive.

There is a restaurant in the grounds open from 10.30 am to 6 pm from 1st to 29th May, July and August.

Château de Beauregard, Cellettes (15 mins from Blois, 25 mins from Chambord, 15 mins from Cheverny)

Open: 18th November to 14th February, by reservation only (groups), 15th February to 30th March 11 am to 5 pm, 31st March to 29th June, 10 am to 6 pm, 30th June to 31st August, 10 am to 7 pm, 1st September to 2nd November, 10 am to 6 pm, 3rd November to 11th November, 11 am to 5 pm.

Prices: Park and château : 12.50 euro (park only : 9 euro); children from 5 to 13 : 5 euro (park only : 5 euro)

Easter Sunday in Château country

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It hardly seems like a year ago that we got the keys to Closerie Falaiseau, our 400-year-old Renaissance house in Blois in the Loire Valley. We decided to take the weekend off and visit some more châteaux. We thought that if we went to Azay-le-Rideau around noon on Sunday, there wouldn’t be many people. Well, that was a big mistake!

Front entrance to Azay-le-Rideau on Easter Sundy
Front entrance to Azay-le-Rideau on Easter Sundy

It turned out there was an Easter egg hunt for the kids. In France, there is no Easter bunny – the church bells bring the eggs. I’m not sure how they are then supposed to get hidden in the château and gardens but the kids were obviously keen. The whole family seemed to be there, including all the grandparents and great aunts, which didn’t make it easy to take photos, to my great regret.

Reconstruction of Renaissance bed at Azay-le-Rideau
Reconstruction of Renaissance bed at Azay-le-Rideau

I’ll write another post on the château itself but would just like to say that there is the most wonderful exhibition in one of the bedrooms. A Renaissance bed and its covers and trimmings have been reconstructed, based on paintings of the time and using traditional methods. The walls are covered in braided rushes and a video explains how all the different elements were made. Fascinating!

Orangery restaurant at Azay-le-Rideau
Orangery restaurant at Azay-le-Rideau

We had a little trouble finding somewhere to eat afterwards because everyone else seemed to be on the same timetable as us! We finally found a pizzeria cum brasserie doing a brisk business and had the set menu (entree + main course) at 13 euros. Nothing remarkable but quite edible with an unlimited buffet entree. The Orangerie in the château grounds offers salads and an amazing variety of quiches for 7 or 8 euro but the room is entirely open with no heating and at 4°C, we were not tempted. I’m sure it’s wonderful in summer though.

Brocante at Azay-le-Rideau
Brocante at Azay-le-Rideau

I had seen a sign saying brocante but we could see not sign of it. We went to the tourist office and were directed towards the river. It was in a lovely setting and the sun was out. We wandered around looking for a metal bucket for our fireplace ashes. We happened across two old engravings of Blois at 25 euros a piece that Jean Michel got for 40 euros for the two. I then proceeded to drop the bag containing the framed engravings but fortunately it didn’t break!

Sellers at Azay brocante on the 5th Sunday of the month
Sellers at Azay brocante on the 5th Sunday of the month

We found a copper bucket and also some wide lace sold by the metre to use as a table runner. The sellers were very friendly and explained that the brocante is held in Azay on the 5th Sunday of the month, which works out to about 3 times a year. They also go to the one in Blois on the 2nd Sunday of the month that we went to last Easter Sunday. I had actually seen the lace the last time we were here in March.

Suspension bridge over the Loire in Langeais, built in 1849
Suspension bridge over the Loire in Langeais, built in 1849

After debating about whether or not to visit Château de Langeais because of the possible crowds we decided to at least go and take photos of the outside since there was such brilliant sun. After crossing the suspension bridge over the Loire, built in 1849 and rebuilt no less than 4 times, we drove straight to the parking lot we knew from our previous visits and there didn’t seem too many people. When we got to the front of the château, we checked that our favourite tea room/pâtisserie was open and were distracted by loud laughter.

Innocant le Bel at Château de Langeais
Innocant le Bel at Château de Langeais

In front of the castle keep was a guard in full mediaeval regalia – codpiece and all. I called out and asked him if he was real. After being reassured that he was not a wax model, we mounted the steps and Innocent le Bel explained, in mediaeval French (well, more or less) that there was a special event going on the castle – the wedding of a young lady called Raoulette and a man whom she had never seen, chosen by her upwardly mobile parents for his wealth.

Wedding party at Château de Langeais
Wedding party at Château de Langeais

Inside, other actors were interacting with the public and we were able to watch the wedding ceremony and reading of the marriage contract. After seeing the portrait of her new husband after the ceremony, Raoulette burst into tears and stormed off. We came across her later on in an upstairs bedroom, where her mother was trying to explain to some young visitors why Rahoulette couldn’t choose her own husband!

La Maison de Rabelais in Langeais
La Maison de Rabelais in Langeais

After a stroll around the grounds, we finished off the visit in Langeais at La Maison de Rabelais with some excellent pâtisseries that had far too many calories. Oh well, we don’t go there often …

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